Neighborhood fights I-135 truck stop proposal in Park City. Some say they will move.

Sedgwick County homeowners are challenging a businessman’s plan to build a truck stop in Park City along the interstate highway.

The Park City planning commission will meet Monday to finish last week’s meeting, which lasted nearly four hours as residents took advantage of their only opportunity for a public hearing. The city council has the final say.

Lou Robelli and his business, Air Capitol Delivery & Warehouse, plan to build a travel center at the northwest corner of 85th Street and I-135. That location puts the development, which is expected to have overnight parking for up to 100 semis, near housing developments.

“The neighborhood association is not opposed to truck stops, but is opposed to the actual rezoning of the land right next to our housing addition,” said Charley Davidson, president of the Saddlebrook Homeowners’ Association. “And the building of a truck stop at that location, or the building of a truck stop next to any housing addition, for that matter.”

The planning commission’s deliberations are necessary because the land’s zoning would have to be changed to allow a truck stop. Russ Ewy, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, said the current commercial designation permits a service station, but overnight parking for a travel center needs an industrial zoning.

“Some of the reasons we adamantly oppose the building of a truck stop, which has to be in an ... industrial area, is actual listed in your very own regulations,” Davidson said, that highlight environmental concerns that “do not permit the intermixing of residential uses.”

The rezoning request is for about 18 acres of land. The proposed truck stop is about two miles from a new Amazon warehouse. City staff recommend approval of the rezoning request, subject to the conditions of a protective overlay.

Robelli, who owns a trucking business with more than 100 semis in his fleet, did not attend last week’s meeting. Mike Richardson, his business partner, suggested that he too would not want to live next to their proposed travel center.

“Shortly after we announced this business, we learned fairly quickly that the residents of Saddlebrook were unhappy with the idea of developing this type of business along 135. Quite honestly, if I — if my perspective was, some of the businesses and service industry in the area, I would be standing there with them, not wanting that next to my home as well.”

Richardson said they have proposals to mitigate concerns about noise, light and air pollution, as well as increased traffic and crime.

“This is not your traditional truck stop,” he said.

Among the plans are an “earth berm with vegetation” to reduce unappealing views, no parking within 500 feet of the nearest home to diminish noise and truck stop electrification so truckers don’t have to idle overnight.

“I can understand why people are concerned, from seeing some other businesses across the country and in this area,” he said. “But we’re not a big corporation coming in here to drop a business and walk away. We live here. ... We care about the area, we care about the community.”

Robelli has previously said he had hoped to build farther north at 101st Street and I-135, but the lack of existing infrastructure led him to scrap that idea.

“This place is perfect,” Robelli told The Eagle in August of the location off 85th Street. “Everything’s here. It’s going to be really nice. First class.”

The business would create 50-75 good-paying jobs for the Park City area while providing professional truck drivers with amenities as they rest during their travels, Richardson said..

“I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around Kansas and other states, visiting travel centers,” he said. “Quite honestly, we have done a poor job of providing accommodations for these critical, critical operators and professional drivers. This business will correct that.”

About 30 people signed up to speak during the public hearing. All were opposed to the rezoning plan.

Misty Schrag said she and at least three other people have put their home on the market because they do not trust elected officials “to protect us.” She said her sale closes in two weeks. Other homeowners are trying to sell, but prospective buyers back out when they learn of the truck stop proposal.

“We are moving because of this, and we will not be back,” Schrag said.

Former truckers who live in the neighborhood expressed concerns over human trafficking, as well as the potential for hazardous materials to spill.

“What would you or the city do when a Park City resident is either abducted in human trafficking or sexually assaulted?” said Cody Branham, the lawyer for the homeowners. “Please don’t be naive about it. It will happen at some point. You can’t remedy that situation after the fact. It’s my view that that risk alone outweighs any of the benefits that may come.”

Branham noted the importance of truck stops to the economy while speaking against industrial zoning next to homes. He said the city provided economic incentives to build the homes, and the new residents knew there was a neighboring commercial zoning that could some day have service industry businesses and office space. Permitting industrial businesses would “drastically change this area and pull the rug out from under them, causing damage to them,” he said.

“Your comprehensive plan, adopted just two years ago, is telling you, maybe even screaming at you: don’t do this, don’t mix these types of uses,” said Justin Waggoner, an attorney and homeowner.

Kyle Lang, a homeowner in the Bearhill neighborhood across the highway, spoke on the rezoning process.

“If there was ever a time to reject a zoning change request outright, this would be the time,” he said. “Because if a building full of opposition and a month’s worth of emails and phone calls can’t change the outcome, then I believe this hearing is nothing more than a rubber stamp on the city’s recommendation, and I believe the little guy suffers because of it.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 6:31 AM.