Interstate 80 is a resource Green River and Sweetwater County can’t ignore.
During the public comment period for last week’s Sweetwater County Planning and Zoning Commission hearing regarding the Love’s Truck Stop proposal, Kael Jasperson, vice chairman of the Jamestown-Rio Vista Water and Sewer District called the interstate a resource that should be developed.
Jasperson also mentioned the looming situation with coal and the uncertain future surrounding the Jim Bridger Power Plant. As coal continues to decline, we need to be open to other sources of jobs and revenue. For Jasperson, one of those sources lies with the interstate, something we find ourselves agreeing with, yet the challenge has always been convincing people to stop into Green River.
One of the easiest methods we’ve mentioned in previous editorials is hosting more events throughout the summer to attract visitors, but events can’t be responsible for all the traffic coming to town. It also begs the question of what should be done during the other nine months of the year.
The truck stop is not the first thing people think about when it comes to economic development, but it does create an important lynch pin for future development in the Jamestown area. The truck stop could be cause for future development, such as a restaurant or another convenience store in that area, all of which would help provide additional sales-tax revenue.
As the saying goes, “If you build it, they will come.” Construction of a truck stop would create a reason for people to get off the road. We’re well aware of concerns that the truck stop will impact local businesses because it could stop people from visiting Green River.
However, after several conversations about the subject, we’re convinced that won’t be the case.
People who stop at truck stops, outside of the people they’re named for, generally aren’t interested in visiting a place to begin with. They’re wanting to get from Point A to Point B as soon as they can, making only a brief stops along their way. They’re the people already not coming to Green River.
The city can still attract people who like to stop and visit small towns along the way, there are people who do that too. It would be a mistake to claim the stuck stop will harm Green River, however that leaves the question of how Green River can attract more people to visit from the interstate. The answer to that is both simple to state and complex to achieve: give people a reason to visit.
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