- The truck stop development would have included a gas station, convenience store, and truck repair shop.
- Neighbors, the developer, attorneys and local officials weighed in.
- Watch the video to see why one commissioner did not vote.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It was close, but commissioners voted against a new truck stop in Jefferson County.
I’m Lentheus Chaney, in Monticello, where neighbors, the developer, attorneys, and local officials all had their say. Here's the latest on what happened.
As previously reported, the proposed site will include a gas station with 16 diesel pumps, a convenience store, a truck stop, and a repair shop, plus an over 11,000-square-foot building with a fueling canopy and truck parking.
After taking an oath, several speakers passionately shared their support or opposition to the project.
Neighbor John Broadway, who lives right next to the proposed site, says the truck stop would seriously disrupt his family’s way of life.
“The only benefactor, as I see it, of the proposed truck stop are the hundreds and hundreds of semis every day. Being an out-of-state developer from California, wanting to cash in and take advantage of a smaller county possibly ill-prepared for the negative impacts of something this big,” Broadway
A planner representing the developer addressed concerns raised during the public comments.
District 1 Commissioner Jessica Gramling addressed both the board and the public, sharing her thoughts on the development. She says she took a deep dive into interpreting the land use, ensuring she made a well-informed, common-sense decision.
“If there’s not a transition in land use, that’s what we’re here for, and we have to look at these adjacent parcels,” Gramling said.
As for the vote, of the five commissioners, Chairman Austin Hosford recused himself due to a conflict of interest. Three commissioners voted to deny the development, while just one voted in favor of it.
