Proposed quarry expansion worries Raleigh residents

About 20 residents were invited to a neighborhood meeting Thursday evening to meet with Martin Marietta Materials to hear about the plan, which would increase the quarry by about 19 acres, rezone the property and shift a portion of Westgate Road.

One concern, neighbors say, is effects of blasts, which already rattle homes.

"It's like a mini-earthquake that is going on every time they blast," said Mary Archer, who says a crack in her wall is a result of blasting.

She and others fear it would get worse.

"They are going to be doing more blasting. Our homes are going to shake more, and we are going to have more cracks," Archer said.

Resident Michael Miller also worries about additional traffic and what an expansion might mean for property values.

"Let's look at the future impact," he said. "Should they expand, they move closer to the development, and that only increases the risk of greater damage."

A Martin Marietta executive said the company doesn't plan to blast any closer to the neighborhood or more often, and any concerns would be addressed through a series of community meetings.

Any formal request would go to the Raleigh City Council in April.