RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- For Dylan Harvey, Lake Crabtree County Park is the perfect mountain biking destination.
"I started there," Harvey said. "You can continue to get to the harder spots to where it's still challenging for somebody who's a little bit better."
The park is one of the most popular parks and the "go-to" location for novice and intermediate mountain bikers, according to Elise Freed, who teaches young people how to ride.
"This is such a such a good trail system for everyone," Freed said. "Beginners can learn there and even experts can enjoy themselves."
But nearly all of the park's bike trails are in jeopardy after Raleigh-Durham International Airport wants to develop 136 acres of its land into a "unique and innovative entertainment destination," to generate revenue, according to documents.
For years, the RDU Airport Authority leased a part of the park it owned to Wake County for just $1 a year. But that lease is expiring and new federal requirements require all leases to be at market rate, which to Wake County, would be "prohibitively expensive for that portion of the park property," according to a county spokesperson who sent the following statement:
"Lake Crabtree County Park sits on land that the RDU Airport Authority owns and leases to Wake County, and that lease expires on June 30, 2025," Alice Avery said. "The Airport Authority has chosen to develop a 130-acre portion of Airport land previously used for recreation to generate revenue. The County asked to renew the lease at the current rate of $1 per year, but RDU informed us that the FAA now requires all leases to be at market rate, which was prohibitively expensive for that portion of the park property. RDUAA has communicated its plans to the County, and we have expressed a desire for the development to be as compatible as possible with the park. Wake County is working with RDUAA to renew the lease for the remaining portion of the park and also working to enhance the mountain bike trails on the 150-acre "286 Property" that the County recently leased from RDUAA."
Dave Anderson, who is a board member with Triangle Off Road Cyclists, said there's enormous public planning and time and investment that have gone into making what he said is an "irreplaceable outdoor recreation."
"We're going to take three-quarters of the forest and develop something on there," Anderson said. "It's not known what that's going to be ... but that kind of development is going to just fundamentally change what it is right now. It's incredibly effective right now as forested outdoor recreation."
According to documents, the Authority seeks to "develop in a manner consistent and appropriate with the natural surroundings of the site."
Anderson and some others said they plan to attend the upcoming public Airport Authority meeting on Wednesday.