If Monroe County is going to have a truck stop, it’s going to be a nice one. That’s the message the Monroe County Plan Commission sent by voting 7-0 to recommend amending the county’s zoning ordinance at a meeting Tuesday night.
“I was stuck in the middle on whether to vote for this amendment,” said Scott Wells, plan commission member. “But I think it’s so well-written we’re either going to have the best truck stop travel plaza in the state or we’re not going to have one.”
With Sections 4 and 5 of Interstate 69 planned to cut through the county, in September 2013 the plan commission started discussing the possibility of a truck stop being built along the route. Larry Wilson, county planning department director, said there were concerns about safety and pollution. The ordinance aims to address those concerns.
The amendment first defines a truck stop/travel plaza, and classifies it as a conditional use in the heavy industrial district, meaning it has to meet several conditions also set forth in the amendment. Those conditions include a minimum parcel area of at least 10 acres and having electrified parking spaces available for overnight parking.
The electrified parking spaces would allow drivers to power internal systems, such as heating and air conditioning, without idling their engines. Wilson said rates for these electrified spaces are cheaper than the cost of burning diesel fuel.
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