Specifically, a judge granted a TRO on actions beyond the “exploratory drilling” Wake Stone is already doing.
An evidentiary hearing will be held in the next few weeks to consider an injunction.
Triangle Business Journal – Mar 18, 2019
Harvey Schmitt
Raleigh
News & Observer-March 6, 2019
Friday’s decision to approve the lease of Raleigh-Durham International Airport-owned land to Wake Stone Corporation may have seemed sudden to environmentalists and trail enthusiasts, but not to Sam Bratton.
Bratton, president of Wake Stone, says it’s the result of more than a year of stakeholder engagement – some of it with the same folks holding signs that read “Stop RDU Quarry.”
“It’s just that they don’t like the outcome,” he says. “We’ve tried to provide a win-win – near-term recreational benefits, long-term recreational benefits.”
And the quarry compromise won’t just fund bike trails. It will also provide the crushed rock needed to support a growing Triangle, he says.
Triangle Business Journal – Mar 5, 2019
Sig Hutchinson, Wake County commissioner, was extremely vocal in 2017 against Wake Stone’s quarry proposal, prior to RDU’s initial rejection. At the time, Hutchinson urged his fellow commissioners to officially outline their support of an alternate bid – that of The Conservation Fund, which would have preserved the entire tract as an extension of the Umstead State Park.
On Thursday, he says the community should keep an open mind about Wake Stone’s offer this time, which also includes a plan to preserve some of the nearby bike trails.
“You have to understand that [RDU has] a fiduciary responsibility to the airport and the airport needs money, they need stone for a runway and they have to weigh those opportunities and come up with the best decision for the airport,” he adds. “I personally think that, understanding that their fiduciary responsibility is what it is, we can create a win-win situation out of this. In looking at the plan they are offering, they’re offering substantial resources to Wake County that is going to, hopefully, allow us to make legal the 286 mountain bike trails that are currently being ridden illegally.”
Triangle Business Journal – Mar 1, 2019
On Mar. 1, 2019, the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board of Directors voted to generate new revenue through a land-lease agreement with Wake Stone Corporation to help fund crucial infrastructure projects including a new runway, more gates and better amenities for its 12.8 million annual customers.
The agreement is projected to generate about $24 million from a 25-year, 105-acre expansion of the adjacent existing quarry to help fund airport capital improvement projects. The agreement also requires Wake Stone to provide $3.6 million for a third party to lease 151 acres of airport land for mountain biking recreation. Wake Stone will contribute an additional estimated $3 million at the end of the agreement to reclaim the site with recreational features…
RDU News Release-March 1, 2019
In March, the existing dirt access road was “top-dressed” with crushed stone to allow mobile equipment to access the property without causing land disturbance. A storage container was also placed on the property for tools and equipment, and security cameras…
Over the past year, Wake Stone has tried to restart leasing discussions for a tract of land near Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
When Wake Stone approached RDU again over the tract, the board listened, Landguth says in an interview.
But it didn’t bite on the offer, instead directing Wake Stone to “engage all the stakeholders,” including the environmentalists who had fervently spoken against its first proposal.
So that’s what Wake Stone did – starting with Wake County Commission, where it made a presentation Nov. 13.
Wake Stone is proposing a 35-year mining lease, and as part of an effort to compromise, it plans to contribute $3.6 million for lease payments for a 150-acre mountain biking center on RDU property. Wake Stone also pledges to – once mining is complete – build “recreational features” such as trails and overlooks on the site, according to its presentation to Wake County commissioners.
Triangle Business Journal – Nov 26, 2018
After working with the Town of Knightdale for several years, Wake Stone Corporation announced a 40-acre land donation valued at $2 million for the creation of the North Carolina Football Club (NCFC) Knightdale Soccer Complex. Wake Stone Corporation has also…
The highly anticipated Winston-Salem Quarry Park is finally open to the public and so far, has only received stellar reviews, between breathtaking views of the Winston-Salem skyline and unique overlook situated above a dreamy blue quarry. While many Winston-Salem natives knew of the quarry long before its public debut, it’s now accessible to more than just unruly teenagers and curious adults, but the entire public. Once you visit, you’ll see what the hype is about.
For years, more than 200 wooded acres were left to the demise of nature near a quarry filled with water and formerly owned by Vulcan Materials. The project was spearheaded in 2014 as part of a $30.85 million parks and recreation bond request. In total, the new quarry park renovation costs $5 million.
The Quarry Park features an overlook pier that extends over the quarry and offers stunning views of the Winston-Salem skyline.
Cyclists also enjoy exploring the park, as it connects to the greenway. For those who want to visit, it’s easy to park, walk and explore. Besides the overlook, visitors can traverse the park and walk around the rock-encircled quarry from overlooks and pathways that are also safely guarded for young explorers.
Only in Your State – Sept 03, 2017
Photo Copyright Michael Steed
On April 18, East Carolina University's Department of Geological Sciences received a donation of three boulders, estimated at more than 300 million years old. The boulders were installed for display outside of the Graham Building as part of the department's…