Planning Department discusses truck stop rules

The Monroe County Planning Department met Sept. 25 to discuss the possible enforcement of new rules for any truck stops constructed along the new Interstate 69 extension.

“With I-69 coming through Bloomington, we anticipate there will be increased over-the-road trucking,” Director of the Monroe County Planning Department Larry Wilson said.

“Right now our zoning in Monroe County has no provision for truck stops or travel plazas.”

Wilson said the department wanted to make sure they discussed possible standards for truck stops or travel plazas that might be located in the county.

Travel plazas are areas along highways were drivers can stop to rest.

Wilson said the main concerns are traffic flow, effects on local roads from the weight of the trucks, air pollution from idling trucks, hazardous waste spills and crime associated with truck stops.

The planning committee has also proposed implementing a conditional use permit, which means anyone seeking to build or construct a truck stop or travel plaza in Monroe County will have to go through the Board of Zoning Appeals in order to locate a facility in one of the heavy industrial zones.

“These are big facilities, and they have a lot of in-and-out traffic with trucks, and frankly, there are many good locations in our county for this type of facility,” Wilson said.

But, he cautioned that the location of these truck stops or travel plazas will have to be carefully planned.

“Most of the exits within the Bloomington area are congested already and addition of truck traffic in those areas would be probably disastrous on Third Street or Second Street,” Wilson said.

I-69 is scheduled to be completed in Bloomington and tie into Interstate 37 by about the end of 2014, Wilson said.

“Our goal was to have this in place before that happens,” Wilson said.
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is currently working with family-owned Stone Belt Freight Lines.

The company is trying to understand how the ordinance could effect them, the trucking industry and the community as a whole, Liz Irwin, director of advocacy and public policy for the Chamber, said.

“The county is doing the responsible thing by looking at the issue and creating a plan that is right for our community, a plan that factors some of the concerns such as pollution and traffic impacts on local roads,” Irwin said.

Irwin said trucks not having a place to stop could have a negative impact on the community and on businesses.

“Consideration needs to be given for the unintended consequences as well as keeping in mind that we depend on the trucking industry for almost all of what we purchase,” she said.

Irwin said most of the products purchased by consumers are delivered by truck.

She said the cost of delivering those goods is affected by many factors including trucking accommodations.

“The more difficult it is for trucks to deliver their goods, the higher the cost,” Irwin said. “By not having a place for trucks to stop for refueling and servicing, we could effectively increase the costs of the things we buy.”
 
Follow reporter Alli Friedman on Twitter @afreedz.