VANDERBURGH COUNTY, In. (WEHT) – Love’s Travel Stop presented a rezoning request for northern Vanderburgh County at the intersection of State Road 57 & I-69 but that request was denied.

Love’s pleaded its case on a proposed 17 million dollar investment to the area. A project they say would add 57 new jobs to the community.

Despite their efforts of Love’s to provide input on the situation many residents were excited when the rezoning request was denied by a vote of 7-3. One of those residents includes Neil Woods who is a landowner across from the proposed truck stop.

“I feel really good about this, this was the first hurdle,” said Neil Woods said. “Our hope is next that the county commissioners will see that it, does not fit into the neighborhood.”

Residents against the truck stop cited a few of their concerns in the meeting including increased traffic light pollution and ground water pollution.

“I grew up in that area and what we want to see happen with a lot of properties out there is having them preserved,” explained Woods. “So we started an organization that gathers up parcels of land just to prevent it from development. so the land across the street we actually acquired to prevent it from becoming a truck stop.”

The Love’s representatives in attendance insist they have done their done their best in figuring out what would work best for those living in the area.

“INDOT has approved the traffic study,” stated Love’s representatives. “We submitted it, they’ve made no comments. We put a ten year projection on that thing. so it’s not looking at it today. it’s not looking at it for the day we open. it’s looking at it ten years in the future.”

Love’s representatives say there are many semi-trucks already frequenting the area.

“There’s an industrial park just south of here, where trucks are already exiting and going down to that industrial park. so we are capturing traffic that’s already flowing through there,” explained Love’s representatives. “Will we get some additional traffic from I-69, absolutely, but we are addressing trucks that are already going in that industrial park.”

One of their goals in their hopes of bringing the new truck stop was to help control an already increasing issue.

“As that park grows, you’re going to have issues with trucks parking where they’re not supposed to,” Love’s representatives explained. “So we provide that service for them to park somewhere where they’re supposed to be, as opposed to on a ramp or on the side of the road.”

The denial from the area plan commission is just a recommendation. the county commission will have the final say.