RDU Workshop #2: Turn Lake Crabtree Park into a Recreation/Wellness Destination

Invitation to Attend RDU’s 2nd public workshop regarding turning Lake Crabtree County Park into a commercial “Recreation/Wellness Destination” / RDU used federal money to speculate on non-contiguous land.

Please share this info:

Tuesday, 23/Sep/25, from 4-7pm (arrive any time), the Raleigh-Durham Airport and Pacific Elm are holding the second (of three) Public “Workshops" about developing Lake Crabtree Park into a commercial "Recreation/Wellness Destination." Please attend and voice your support for forested trail recreation at Lake Crabtree County Park. There are better options such as putting RDU's proposed development by Brier Creek Lake and leaving Lake Crabtree Park as is. RDU claims that FAA rules are forcing this development, but that is not true. There is a community use exemption to the profit drive AND if RDU would re-work their land use plan instead of following the one and only one land use plan that they ever considered, they would see there are alternatives such as the 2017 RDU Forest Village concept.

This is the link to the RDU website: https://www.rdu.com/recreation/

For thoughts/comments on RDU-Pacific Elm's 19/Aug/25 posters: https://substack.com/home/post/p-172960733

The event will be at: Laurel Hills Community Center, 3808 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh, 27612

The format is RDU's typical poster presentations in which representatives will staff several poster stations and be available to hear your comments. Like the Vision 2040 planning process, these public “workshops” allow RDU to claim public involvement whether or not they actually listen. However, please go and tell them what you feel. At the last poster presentation, there was a poster board in which to post your comments.

A few thoughts:
· RDU and Pacific Elm are using misleading photos to promote this recreation and wellness center in several ways including the reality of the surrounding area and the permitted activities within the LCCP area. They are touting connectivity to other recreation areas as the reason they want to turn a highly used public park into a paid commercial recreation area, yet they are destroying all of the connectivity with the RDU-Wake Stone quarry. It is critical to know that per RDU’s Vision 2040 Master Plan, 286 East (currently leased to Wake County) will be developed and thus fall the same fate as Lake Crabtree Park. Also, the pictures tout swimming in the Lake. This is not permitted due to contamination. While fishing is allowed, you cannot eat the fish due to contamination.
· A better location for RDU's Wellness Center is next to Brier Creek Lake or, as was proposed in 2017, RDU could have put this wellness development where the Park Economy 3 expansion is now located. At that time, RDU TOTALLY refused to consider this viable option that was fully supported by the community.
· Lake Crabtree County Park should be left as is. It was planned to be a park before RDU used federal money to take the land in a speculative manner. The land was not contiguous with the Airport and already planned for a lake and recreation. RDU's enabling legislation says they can take land for landing fields, not take land for speculation.
· Under former RDU CEO John Brantly, Lake Crabtree Park was zoned Residential in order to protect it from commercial development. RDU CEO Mike Landguth and RDU Development Officer Bill Sandier are destroying the legacy of John Brantley.

A lot more detailed information can be found on Substack, RDU Forest Saga: https://substack.com/@rduforestsaga