Love's Travel Stop is one step closer to building a truck stop near Loop 303 in far west Glendale, despite an outcry from nearby rural neighborhoods.
The Glendale City Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 to rezone land just west of Loop 303 between Bethany Home Road and Glendale Avenue, in part to make way for the truck stop. Vice Mayor Ray Malnar was the lone "no" vote.
It was the final council approval needed for Love's to move forward with a truck stop on the land.
The issue has been a point of contention between people living near the location and Glendale officials since late last year, with hundreds of residents saying that idling semi-trucks would pollute the air and bring traffic, crime and noise.
Love's is taking interest in the site as the previously rural area turns into a new industrial corridor.
A few of the council members who voted for the rezoning noted how, with Loop 303 planned for the area since the 1980s, residents should have expected this type of development.
"It's coming," said Councilwoman Joyce Clark, who represents the district. "And you can't put all that industrial in with all the truck usage that's going to occur and not provide a safe alternative."
About 50 people attended the council meeting on Tuesday in opposition to the rezoning, with several wearing red shirts to show their opposition.
After the vote, CJ Unzen, who lives near the site in unincorporated Maricopa County, said the approval was a significant disappointment. She said it's obvious that the council's main concern is about getting more money for the city.
"It's discouraging when revenue supersedes people's health and welfare," she said.
Love's must follow specific rules
The decision Tuesday allows for various uses on the land, including industrial and commercial development. The previous zoning allowed for agricultural use only.
Love's has said for months that the truck stop isn't a "done deal," but that it does want to build a truck stop and a few restaurants there.
The company does not yet own the land but has indicated it plans to buy it.
The council added stipulations onto the rezoning approval to try to address some of residents' concerns.
To address concerns about crime, Love's will be required to have on-site security, provide office space to police on site, and have surveillance video. The company also will need to build a wall on the property and follow rules for lighting.
The stipulations weren't enough for some who spoke at the meeting.
Michelle Heimbuck, who lives on Cotton Lane just across from the site, pointed out there is no police or fire station in the immediate area.
"The bottom line is, there are a lot better places to locate the Love's truck stop," Heimbuck said after the meeting. "They are building the city of Glendale revenue at the expense of public safety and health."
Jennifer Bloomberg outlined the negative health effects that can come from exposure to pollution caused by semi-trucks.
Malnar said if he lived in the neighborhood, he would be opposed to the truck stop, as well.
"I just don't think it's the right space or spot," he said.
Alex Fuller, a project manager for Love's, said at the meeting that the company considered several sites along Loop 303. The company faced obstacles with buying other land, he said, and it took months to strike a deal.
Site for truck stop at far edge of city
The property, just west of Luke Air Force Base, is far from Glendale proper. It's closer to communities such as Surprise, Litchfield Park, Waddell and unincorporated Maricopa County.
It's one of many plots of land in the area that Glendale has recently annexed into the city, as developers make plans to build millions of square feet of warehouse space and other industrial space along the freeway.
Because the land is surrounded mostly by county property, the dozens of residents speaking against the rezoning are not Glendale residents. The rezoning benefits the city, they say, but harms non-city residents.
Two state lawmakers are opposed to the truck stop. State Rep. Joanne Osborn and state Rep. Tim Dunn, who both represent the farthest west end of the Valley, co-signed a letter to the Glendale City Council asking leaders to "thoroughly consider the implications of your decision."
"Developing in this parcel will greatly impact the lives of the residents in this area and these residents are concerned for the safety of their children and neighbors," the lawmakers wrote. "They also recognize that their neighborhood will evolve but are wary of potential consequences."
Tony Bradley, president of Arizona Trucking Association, spoke on Tuesday in favor of the truck stop. He said that truckers need more places to park in the state.
"If they don't have a place to park," he said, "they are going to go to the neighborhood."
Republic reporter Joshua Bowling contributed to this story.
Reach the reporter at jen.fifield@azcentral.com or at 602-444-8763. Follow her on Twitter @JenAFifield.
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