County commission passes ordinance regulating truck stops

The Monroe County Plan Commission unanimously passed a zoning ordinance Tuesday night that formally defines and sets requirements for truck stops and plazas.

The ordinance is part of the county’s plan to prepare for the expansion of Interstate 69 from Indianapolis to Evansville.

Requirements passed by the planning commission include that truck stops must be located within 2,000 feet of the center line of the nearest interstate highway exit or entry ramp, be 7,000 feet apart and have separate fueling areas for regular vehicles and trucks.

Truck stops must also have a minimal parcel size of 10 acres, have dedicated left or right turn lanes and be designed to prevent any spills that could happen in the plaza.
Implementation of electrified overnight parking spaces will be another major requirement of all potential Monroe County truck stops.

These spaces will provide heating, air conditioning and other necessary energy without forcing the truck driver to leave the truck idling.

The Plan Commission is an advisory body to the Board of County
Commissioners. The ordinance passed by the Plan Commission will be sent to the Monroe County commissioners next.

Wilson presented design ideas from truck stops in Crawfordsville, Ind., and Aurora, Col. 

Scott Wells, plan commission member, said even though he initially did not want truck stops in the county, he liked how the ordinance was written.

One concern of the commission was that requirements for the truck stops were made rigorous enough to deter the construction of too many truck stops in the county.

“We’ll either have the best truck stop or truck plaza in the state, or even surrounding states, or not because it’s going to cost more to do it right,” Wells said.

Wells said the Indiana Department of Transportation has reported the interstate expansion will bring 8,000 more trucks to the area.

John Irvine, commission president, said that prospect as well as Indiana Department of Transportation not allowing rest areas between Indianapolis and Evansville would cause problems for truck drivers.

He said federal law requires truck drivers to pull over for the night. If they cannot do so at a truck stop in Monroe County, truck drivers and other drivers on the interstate will have to pull over to other commercial areas to sleep.

Wells also expressed concern about traffic congestion and noise and light pollution if truck stops are built.

“It’s not a great situation,” Irvine said.

Another issue the commission noted was the lack of places for truck stops to be built.
 
“There are not a lot of good sites with good sewer and water,” Wells said, noting that many good places have been taken along I-37.

Jim Faber, member of the League of Women Voters, was the sole member of the public in the audience for the meeting.

He said he approved of the requirements but wasn’t sure if they would be implemented.

“I think it’s great,” Faber said. “I don’t think they will get any in, but it’s great.”