A coalition of advocacy groups in the Triangle is balking at plans for a perimeter fence around Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
The proposed eight-foot chain-link fence would run along RDU's border with Umstead State Park. The airport is accepting bids for the project and plans to start construction early next year.
Dave Anderson, with the group Triangle Off-Road Cyclists, says he's concerned about environmental and aesthetic impacts of a section of the fence that would run along both sides of a trail between the park and Lake Crabtree.
“The fence will really just cause extensive damage to the natural beauty of that recreation corridor,” Anderson said.
The group has also been opposed to a lease that allows for the creation of a quarryadjacent to Umstead Park.
Part of the fencing plans would also cut through the trail at two other spots. A spokeswoman for RDU says the trail will likely be rerouted around the fence, and is designed to enhance security and keep trespassers out. She says there will be a 10-foot natural buffer between the trail and the fence.