Parking Zone – July 2022

Although the truck parking crisis is a national problem that can be addressed by state departments of transportation and the federal government, some of the most meaningful and immediate action takes place at the local level.

Public resisting local efforts addressing truck parking

Listen to a city council public hearing for a truck parking-related proposal. You will likely be under the impression that everyone wants truckers to have more parking options, just not in their town.

In Warren, Mich., the city council denied a zoning request for a proposed truck parking lot. Property owner Cecelia Scot wanted to rezone 5.56 acres from single-family residential to medium-light industrial. Scot planned on turning the property into a parking lot for trucks and trailers her business owns.

However, the council unanimously struck down the request. One resident complained about there already being too many trucks in the area, many of which illegally park on the streets overnight. Apparently, a safe and dedicated parking area is not the solution to that problem.

Meanwhile in Wheeling, Ill., a Chicago suburb, the village board denied a special-use permit request that would add a truck freight terminal to a warehouse. According to Journal & Topics Media Group, “the village requires strict enforcements over semitruck parking within a parking lot that doesn’t have spots designated for semitrucks.”

Consequently, the Wheeling Police Department has handed out tickets to numerous truckers parked in the village overnight. That is what motivated the current business at the property to apply for additional truck freight terminals. That application includes “20 light vehicle parking spaces, one semitruck bobtail parking space, and two loading docks for its operations.”

Four nearby businesses do not want any increases in truck traffic. They got their wish, but truck parking in Wheeling remains a problem with no solution in place.

Although initial efforts have failed, residents in Chicopee, Mass., are trying to stop the city government from allowing Pilot Co. to build a new location.

In May, the Chicopee Planning Board approved of Pilot’s preliminary plans for an 11,000-square-foot travel center. That is despite several residents expressing disapproval of the plan during a public hearing.

According to city documents, proposed Pilot truck stop includes “convenience foods, a sit-down or take-out restaurant, a fast food restaurant, and amenities for truck drivers.” Preliminary plans also mention a 16-position refueling canopy and a seven-position refueling canopy for large commercial vehicles.

Although the planning board voted against the wishes of residents who provided public comments, the approval was only for preliminary plans. Pilot still needs the board to sign off on finalized plans, which may prove to be another uphill battle for the national truck stop chain.

Bittersweet truck parking victories

Some truck parking proposals manage to get the city’s green light. However, a flashing yellow light is waiting for the developers at the very next turn, forcing them to hit the brakes before pursuing an effective solution to the parking crisis.

For example, Shelby County, Ind., is gearing up for a new truck stop. County commissioners rezoned 8 acres from multiple-family residential to highway commercial specifically for the development of a travel center. Preliminary plans call for a 7,000-square-foot convenience store, 15 truck parking spaces, and a truck scale.

That’s the sweet part. The bitter part? No overnight truck parking.

A similar situation is playing out in Williamsport, Md. An area off the Interstate 81 and state Route 63 interchange may be home to a “truck stop.” As the developer told Herald-Mail Media, the courts legally determined the plan is a truck stop because of diesel pump stations for trucks.

Outside of that “feature,” the only component consistent with a truck stop is the construction of 30 truck parking spaces. Showers and other truck stop standards are included in the proposal.

Several truck parking-related proposals have been submitted to the Washington County Planning Commission since 2001. All failed at the hands of opposing residents.

In one case, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled that a “proposal for a convenience store and restaurant, fueling stations for cars and heavy trucks, and a car wash” fits the legal definition of a truck stop.

Situations similar to those in Shelby County and Williamsport are not uncommon. Developers proposing some type of gas station or travel center across the nation are finding themselves compromising with the local government and residents. That usually comes at the expense of the trucking aspect of the proposed development.

Funding vs. approval, private sector vs. public sector

The public sector and the private sector each possess what the other needs to address the national truck parking crisis.

When it comes to funding, governments do not have enough money to invest in truck parking. Strapped for cash, state DOTs have their hands tied when trying to find a way to execute a truck parking solution. Most of these plans have the blessing of the people but no money to move forward.

Conversely, the private sector has plenty of funding for the purpose of building new truck parking spaces. However, no local government (or at least vocal residents) wants that money.

If we want to solve the truck parking problem, compromises cannot be one-sided. LL