When Lonnie Newsom learned a developer wanted to build apartments near his north Charlotte neighborhood, he immediately went to work.

Several things about Centex Homes' plan to build 336 rental units off Reames Road infuriated Newsom and his neighbors.

The thought of more traffic. Decreasing property values. And the belief that renters are more transient, and so would be less committed to the neighborhood.

With this ammunition, Newsom mobilized eight neighborhood groups to get the apartments dropped from the plan, which also included several hundred houses.

Neighbors wrote letters to each Charlotte City Council member and Mecklenburg commissioner. They organized meetings at churches. They got council member James Mitchell involved. They met with the developer and Charlotte planners. Residents also contacted the Charlotte Department of Transportation about the potential traffic impact.

Newsom never doubted he and his neighbors could win the fight. After all, he said, he had seen residents in more affluent neighborhoods successfully battle rezonings. It's a matter of being persistent, he said.

Eventually their work paid off.

Todd Harrison, Centex's director of land acquisition, said the company dropped the apartments from the McIntyre subdivision in response to neighbors' concerns. The company instead decided to build more houses. Many families have already moved in, though some homes remain under construction.

"The system is in place to respond to dissatisfaction," said Newsom, 58. "If you understand the system then there's a chance you can get something done."

The battle wasn't without obstacles. It took Newsom and others away from home a lot, including visits to other projects by Centex, gathering signatures for petitions.

And Newsom, the former president and current secretary of the Bahama Park-Havana Park Homeowners Association, said it was a struggle getting most of the people to believe they could make a difference.

"It's extremely difficult to get many residents to recognize the power of unity and working within the system to make some changes," he said.