Despite a signed petition with about 60 signatures and a few residents voicing opposition to Love’s Truck Stop locating in Jamestown, the Sweetwater County commissioners approved a request for the truck stop.
In a unanimous vote Tuesday morning, the Commission approved a conditional use permit for a travel center/truck stop with a convenience store, automotive fuel pumps, fast-food restaurant and tire shop. While the permit doesn’t specifically name Love’s as the truck stop, Kym Van Dyke, a Love’s representative, was at the meeting to answer any questions residents had and address concerns raised.
During the public comment portion of them meeting, Jamestown resident Dallas Koons said the Love’s in Wamsutter has trash all over the place and it’s a real eyesore in that community.
He figures the Love’s by Jamestown will be in the same condition. He produced photos he had taken of the truck stop to show the commissioners what he was talking about.
“Love’s is not a good neighbor,” he said.
He also questioned the validity of the traffic study completed; saying the study was competed on dry roads, not winter conditions such as ice and snow. He said when the Interstate shuts down, Highway 374 will be congested.
Koons wasn’t the only one to speak. Both Kael Jasperson, vice chairman of the Jamestown-Rio Vista Water and Sewer District and Stewart Grow, who owns land near the truck-stops location spoke in favor of Love’s bringing the possibility of more economic development with it. They reiterated points they made at the Sweetwater County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
With no other public comments, Van Dyke said the company doesn’t dump trash in its own lots.
“We try our best to keep things clean,” he said. “We have people out there constantly on shifts picking up trash.”
As for the icy road conditions, Van Dyke said he can’t control the weather and they will do the best they can when Interstate 80 is closed. He said the Love’s near Jamestown will have the area around dumpsters fenced off and fences around the lot to catch any of the blowing trash and keep it on their property until someone can pick it up.
As for the location, Van Dyke said, “I picked where I felt we needed to be.”
As for the septic issue concerns, Van Dyke said they can’t wait for Rio Vista to work with the city and get sewer out to their location so they will need to construct their own containment system, however, he said they would help fund the effort to bring sewer from Green River to Jamestown.
“We’d like to see that happen,” he said.
After public comment, the commissioners weighed in. Chairman Wally Johnson said he doesn’t think this location will have the same issues as the one in Wamsutter because there is a different group overseeing it.
“This Commission needs to promote quality development,” Johnson said. “This is quality development.
He also felt this truck stop would help alleviate the problems Rock Springs has at the Elk Street truck stop.
Commissioner Jeffrey Smith wanted to know who the Commission could contact if they didn’t like what was happening at Love’s. Van Dyke said once the store is opened, the general manager will be the person to contact.
Commissioners Roy Lloyd and Lauren Schoenfeld both agreed this truck stop would bring other economic development opportunities to the county.
However, they both cautioned Van Dyke about the trash problem Wamsutter has, saying Jamestown residents and the county will not stand for it. Lloyd said if the trash and the property aren’t taken care of, Love’s will lose local support.
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