Ark Valley News - Zoning vote delayed

A hill has been formed behind homes on the south side of the Saddlebrook neighborhood near 85th and Broadway. It is designed to be a barrier between the residential area and the possible travel center.

Zoning vote delayed
By Taylor Messick
Last Updated: October 22, 2020

Residents from Saddlebrook, Bear Hill and other neighborhoods packed the administrative center for Park City's Oct. 19 zoning hearing regarding a proposed overnight travel center at the northwest corner of 85th North and I-135 as a number of locals continued to adamantly oppose the location.

On the agenda was the proposed rezoning of the piece of land that sits south of Saddlebrook near the highway. The proposed zone change is on 18 acres from commercial to light industrial. The zoning administrator said a protective overlay district would ensure that the overnight travel center will be the only type of industrial use permitted on the property. Owner Lou Robelli previously estimated the facility at about 25 acres and said it will be able to hold 75 to 80 trucks at a time. He has about 50 more acres near the intersection that he hopes to use for more development.

The planning commission allowed 30 speakers to voice concerns at the meeting. Many more waited outside the room to watch a live stream and show support for their neighbors. Their clapping and cheering could be heard at the conclusion of each five-minute speech. Several sent comments via email or other forms of communication. The meeting lasted about four hours and the board eventually recessed about 11 p.m. without taking a vote on the matter. They will resume the meeting Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.

Many of the same concerns residents raised at the Aug. 25 city council meeting were expressed again on Oct. 19, including traffic, pollution and human trafficking. Pleas from the speakers ranged across a variety of emotions — some cried and some were visibly angry. Some said they already plan to move out of Park City and others expressed fears they wouldn't be able to sell their houses if potential buyers knew about the travel center. Everyone who spoke expressed the fear that their homes and quality of life would be negatively affected by putting a travel center at this location. Many said they had no problem with commercial development on the property.

One thing residents emphasized was the safety of their children. An 11-year-old speaker read a statement claiming she would not feel safe in her neighborhood anymore without a parent. Another who is approaching driving age said she would be scared to drive near Saddlebrook with a travel center bringing additional traffic to the area. One concerned mother said Saddlebrook is the idyllic lifestyle and compared living in the neighborhood to an episode of "The Wonder Years" with bicycles in the driveways. Many expressed concerns that their tight-knit communities would change.

There was quite a bit mentioned about the potential for crime. One Saddlebrook resident who said he works for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said he has been involved in several arrests at truck stops. He said the travel center would burden the local police and that criminals would end up hopping over the earthen berm barrier into backyards to escape police. The berm will be 25 feet high behind Saddlebrook and will look similar to the one at Sam's Club in Maize. A couple of residents with years of experience in the trucking industry said they have avoided truck stops throughout their careers because of the high rates of criminal activity they attract. Another resident said Robelli admitted in a meeting with residents that crime prevention was "pretty much impossible" but that he planned to put up Crime Stoppers signs.

An attorney representing the residents said there have been 132 reported criminal incidents at the truck stop at 61st North and I-135 between April 2018 and August 2020. He claimed that the applicants have no experience building travel centers and cannot guarantee that theirs will be safe. The attorney also expressed displeasure with what he referred to as gerrymandering by the city and applicant and accused them of trying to limit the notification area so that the zoning change would fly under the radar. Only one Saddlebrook resident lives within the 200-foot notification area and received communication about the zoning change.

One resident scolded city staff for their reactions to residents' concerns and the attorney wondered if Robelli would sell the travel center in the future. He said there might not be as big of a commitment to safety if the business changes hands down the road.

Many brought up the fact that there are no truck stops in the state that are directly next to residential areas. Some speculated that there might not be any such situation in the United States. Others also pointed out that the city's zoning regulations and comprehensive plans explicitly forbid industrial areas next to residential areas.

Mike Richardson, Robelli's partner, represented the applicant at the meeting and responded to many of the concerns raised by residents. Richardson said he would also be concerned if a big corporation was putting a truck stop next to his house. He said there is a difference between a truck stop and the "overnight travel center" he and Robelli are proposing. He said their facility will be much nicer and that they both live locally and have a vested interest in the community.

He also referenced Love's Travel Stops as being similar to what they are looking to build and said there have been zero reported abductions from Love's locations across the country. He said their lighting won't be visible from local neighborhoods and that pollution from idling trucks will be minimized by Truck Stop Electrification technology. Richardson also said they will look at traffic studies and consider adding a stop light, turn lanes and an alternate entrance to assist with traffic control.