Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.
Sometimes “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I thought a photo of the proposed site of the Love’s Travel Center would be helpful. So I went out to the site the other day and took this photo. I was sitting in my car immediately west of Cotton Lane at Rose Lane.
In the background you can see the Loop 303. The proposed Love’s site is at the Bethany Home Road exit of the Loop 303. The approximate distance between the proposed Love’s site and the nearest home is1,600 feet, about a quarter of a mile.
NOT TO SCALE
Conceptual Courtesy of Lincoln Property
Now, imagine an industrial building on the east side of Cotton Lane (with appropriate front setbacks). The industrial building will not be sited right along the western boundary of the property. It will be set back from Cotton Lane. I don’t know the distance but I would guess about 50 feet. That 30 to 40 foot tall building will act as a noise and visual buffer between the proposed Love’s and the nearest resident.
Please note that the property owner will be required to improve that portion of Cotton Lane that is adjacent to their property. That means Cotton Lane will be improved from Bethany Home Road to Glendale Avenue.
I hope this visual provides some perspective of context as we continue to discuss this issue.
© Joyce Clark, 2020
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Hello Ms. Clark:
Thank you for sharing this information. It is obvious you are concerned about items affecting the residents of Glendale and the Yucca District. You have taken your time to provide this information in a recognized and easily understood format. Suggestion would be to provide a screen shot of a map identifying exactly where the project actua is located. Good job. Your efforts are noted and appreciated. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Jack Martino
Jack, Done! Added more visuals.
Joyce, Thanks for the enhanced visualization. According to Google maps, the west side of Loop 303 to Cotton Lane, along Bethany Home Rd is about .43 miles or 2270 feet.
Measuring diagonally from the same point of the 303 to the intersection of Cotton and Rose Lanes is about .5 miles or 2500 ft.
I presume truckers using the proposed Loves would exit the 303 at Bethany Home and when finished would get back on the 303 at Bethany, correct?
If so I don’t see why they would drive over to Cotton Ln or through that neighborhood for any reason, as some folks have speculated.
It seems a buffer of almost half a mile would keep the truck stop activities from interfering with the closest homes, but maybe somebody who lives there will chime in with some considerations I’m not aware of.
Still trying to figure out what an annex means. I appreciate the time you are taking on this Ms. Clark. It does leave more questions though, like why not put the Love’s on the other side of the 303? 1/4th of a mile is bout 2 blocks, right? Even with a “buffer” that’s still a risk to air quality for the nearby people and animals, correct? The water runoff from the stop may also be bad for groundwater and soil if not properly maintained. Animals will definitely get sick if they drink it, no? Are there other options for this site? Is this progress vs preservation? People vs industry? Kramer vs Kramer? Just seeing if y’all were paying attention.
I have traveled around the country for a lot of years, driving a truck. I say truckers
are not like their stereotype. I am so glad I am not in that industry anymore. The job does not pay nearly as much as it used to 20 years ago. The safety regulations have unintentionally created impossible burdens on the drivers because the drivers end up covering the costs, not the company, not the TSA, definitely not the broker and not the customer. For the last 25 years, the industry has been nickel and diming us out of our wages and out of the industry. I apologize for the rant. Still bitter.
Travel stops – Most truck stops are a moderate distance from neighborhoods. However, the homes used to come after the stops, not the other way around. I don’t think anyone living next to the peaceful sound of an occasional car on the highway welcomes noise and dirt and crime. No doubt that there can be crime at travel stops, same as crime in hotels and during major sporting events and in neighborhoods, heck even in government. The majority of truck drivers are honest people trying to make an honest living. Same as any other group of people. The criminal element is not something to be ignored. Nobody wants to invite any business associated with crime into their community (No city official would put their constituents in harms way).
I am sure glad I do not have to make this decision. The area is being developed. Truckers need a place to fuel and rest. It appears there is an agreement with Love’s. Neighbors don’t want the headache, literally and figuratively, nor do they want to worry about the safety and well being of their children. The residents have indicated they knew their suburbia wouldn’t last forever but are pleading with the city “anything but a truck stop”. The city has not mentioned other options. Some have not mentioned anything at all. Thanks to Ms. Clark for hosting this conversation. Even though it is as a private citizen, not as a council representative, it still counts for something.