Town of Cary
Home MenuGet the Facts: Wake Stone Quarry/Odd Fellows Parcel and Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Perimeter Fence - Permitting Activities
Wake Stone Quarry/Odd Fellows Parcel
November 29, 2023
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, (DEQ) issued a press release reporting a settlement has been reached in Wake Stone litigation.
August 31, 2023
More than a year after filing the appeal, a judge sided with Wake Stone to allow for the new quarry.
April 4, 2022
Wake Stone filed an appeal regarding the denial of the Mining Permit Modification.
February 18, 2022
DEQ provided notice to Wake Stone that the Mining Permit Modification was denied. DEQ provided a summary of the basis for denial.The buffer authorization for the Wake Stone bridge over Crabtree Creek was approved by DEQ.
December 13, 2021
The Division of Parks and Recreation within the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources offered comments for DEQ consideration.
DEQ requested additional information from Wake Stone.
November 15, 2021
Wake Stone issued responses to DEQ's additional information requests (ADIs). Wake Stone has filed a new buffer authorization application.Cover Letter
Response to ADI 7
Exhibit for ADI 7
October 8, 2021
DEQ provided official notice to Wake Stone about the bridge permit being rescinded.
October 1, 2021
Wake Stone's buffer permit for the Crabtree Creek bridge crossing was rescinded on the basis that the Division of Water Quality did not adequately consider alternatives to the bridge.
September 14, 2021
DEQ requested additional information from Wake Stone.
August 20, 2021
Wake Stone issued responses to DEQ's additional information requests (ADIs):
Cover Letter
Combined Response to ADI 4
Combined Response to ADI 5
Combined Response to ADI 6
August 3, 2021
DEQ requested additional information from Wake Stone.
July 16, 2021
DEQ requested additional information from Wake Stone.
June 29, 2021
NCDEMLR added documents to their public records page, including a Request for Additional Information about the noise study and a Response from Wake Stone and their consultant.
February 26, 2021
The Division of Parks and Recreation within the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources offered comments for DEQ consideration.
DEQ shared Wake Stone Corporation's draft noise study and issued comments on the draft study.
January 12, 2021
On January 11, 2021 Wake Stone requested a 60 day extension, which DEQ granted giving Wake Stone a March 20, 2021 resubmittal deadline.
December 14, 2020
Wake Stone answered a majority of the additional information requested from DEQ. The response is available here.
July 28, 2020
DEQ shared the public hearing report and their response to Wake Stone.
July 22, 2020
The Town of Cary has been following this project and has met with citizens who have expressed concerns. Most recently, Umstead Coalition representatives raised concerns about the project’s potential impact to Town facilities, including the North Cary Water Reclamation Facility. The Town also has an interest in the portion of Old Reedy Creek Road, including the bridge, that is located south of I-40. Based on this, staff have engaged one of our on-call consulting firms to help us monitor the permitting of the new RDU mine. The consultant will help us monitor developments in the complex and unfamiliar permitting process to ensure regulators have the information they need to avoid unintended impacts to Town facilities. We want to remain open to the expressed concerns of citizens and neither validate nor set aside their concerns without independently validating them with our consultants.
December 20, 2019
The Town of Cary has received many inquiries regarding recent activity with the Wake Stone Quarry and Odd Fellows parcels. The following information aims to address the frequently asked questions:
- Staff evaluated Town maps back to 1988 and confirmed that the existing quarry is not currently and was not previously within the boundaries of the Town of Cary. It is also not located within the Town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).
- This same evaluation confirmed that the Odd Fellows parcel is not currently and was not previously within the boundaries of the Town of Cary. It is also not within the Town’s ETJ.
- Staff held conversations with RDU staff and Umstead Park staff who confirmed that the greenway will not be closed due to the perimeter fencing. If any impact is anticipated, that segment of the greenway would be relocated such that trail continuity is maintained. Additional information including a video directly addressing the greenway can be found on RDU’s website and blog.
- Staff also noted that the existing quarry is shown on some maps as being within Cary’s “Land Plan Boundary.” The Land Plan Boundary designation is non-regulatory; it is an area outside of the corporate limits and ETJ into which the Town’s ETJ or corporate limits could one day expand, which historically occurs at the request of the property owner.
- Apex, Cary, Morrisville and Wake County were required to do a full alternatives analysis as part of the application for additional allocation from Jordan Lake in 2014. The study included a Crabtree Creek & Triangle Quarry alternative as one of five potential water supply strategies. After a thorough evaluation that reviewed environmental impacts, complexity, cost and several other factors, the Crabtree Creek and Quarry option was not a practical alternative and therefore it was not considered further.
RDUAA Security/Perimeter Fence Information
May 4, 2021
The request for buffer authorization to cross the Neuse River Riparian Buffer has been issued by NC DEQ. See the letter issued to the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority here.
March 15, 2021
On behalf of RDUAA, Soil & Environmental Consultants, PA issued a response to DEQ's request for additional information.
February 19, 2021
DEQ issued a request for additional information.
The Division of Parks and Recreation within the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources offered comments for DEQ consideration.
January 26, 2021
In October 2020 RDUAA reapplied for a Neuse River Riparian Buffer Authorization to NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for their proposed security/perimeter fence. That administrative review by DEQ is currently in process. We understand a discussion or further request of information could be granted in February.
Click here to see a map where the potential fence location is shown in yellow on RDUAA property.
What is the permit and who approves/denies it?
The permit is for a Neuse River Riparian Buffer Authorization. And it is an administrative/staff level review by NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) under their jurisdiction. There is not a public hearing or public comment period for buffer permitting. Some might be getting this buffer review process confused with Wake Stone Corporation’s request and DEQ’s Mining Permit project, which requires a Public Hearing and Public Comment period. Again, these are completely different processes. And unlike the mining permit process there is not much information available about the fence or permit timeline or review on DEQ’s website. Typically, this DEQ staff level, administrative review is a 60-day process in which they can approve, deny, or ask for additional information. If they request additional information, the 60-day clock resets.