A court decision on whether to build a contentious rock quarry in Wake County is expected within a week. The planned site for the quarry is a strip of forested land nestled alongside Umstead Park in Raleigh.
The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority oversees the land and wants to lease the property out to the local mining company Wake Stone to help generate income for airport development plans. But a number oflocal residents and organizations have mobilized against the change. The terrain is a haven for local hikers and mountain bikers. Two groups, The Umstead Coalition and Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC), have asked for an injunction against Wake Stone’s operation. In response, a Wake County Superior Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order against quarry development and is expected to rule on the case within a week.
Host Frank Stasio speaks with Jason deBruyn, WUNC’s data reporter, for the latest in the battle over the contested woodland.