Supervisors reverse course, deny Travel Center
The Marshall County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to rescind its previous approval of a zoning exception for a controversial travel center near I-269 and state Highway 302. The move denied the developer’s request following pushback from local residents.
The reversal occurred during the board’s June 1 meeting, just two weeks after supervisors had narrowly approved the special exception for the project in a tight three-to-two vote.
Supervisor Goston Redd Glover introduced the motion to rescind the prior approval, which was seconded by Supervisor Neil Bennett. The board then voted unanimously to nullify the previous decision and immediately following that action, the board voted, again unanimously, to officially deny the special exception for the project.
Board President George Zinn III said that, in a lengthy executive session before that vote, the board revisited the issue when it appeared the exception would be against new zoning policies the county had put in place.
“We had just done that new comprehensive plan done by Butler Snow, and we hadn’t had that plan very long in place,” said Zinn. “We studied it real close and it looked like we would have been a little bit outside of some of the new policies that we had agreed to in that claim.”
The decision marked a victory for an organized group of local residents who have consistently argued that a 24-hour truck stop and travel center would severely impact their quality of life.
The project, spearheaded by developer John Porter, proposed a multi-use development on a 25-acre site at the southeast corner of state Highway 302 and Barringer Road. While the property holds a C-2 commercial zoning designation, the travel center required a special exception from the county to move forward.
Porter’s long-term vision for the site included a fueling station, a hotel, fast-food and sit-down restaurants, and a potential grocery store. He pitched the development as an economic engine for the region, promising substantial tax revenue and the creation of 30 to 80 permanent jobs.
However, the promise of economic growth was not enough to outweigh the deep concerns of the surrounding community.
At the center of the opposition was a newly established residential subdivision located just down the road from the proposed site. Representatives turned out at the May 18 meeting to voice their opposition.
Spokesman Michael Whitson detailed serious concerns regarding around-the-clock noise pollution, the potential for increased crime, and the structural strain heavy truck traffic would place on local infrastructure.
It was also argued a study failed to account for the rapid residential expansion under way along Highway 302, which is expected to add hundreds of new homes to the area in the near future.
During the May 18 meeting, Supervisors Terry Rodgers and Johnny Walker cast the dissenting votes, while Bennett, Glover, and Board President George Zinn originally voted in favor. At that initial hearing, Bennett had aggressively questioned Porter, demanding assurances that the developer would secure a full-scale grocery retailer--rather than a discount dollar store--to serve the local neighborhood.
While Porter pledged to use the high-traffic travel center as leverage to recruit a grocer, that commitment was ultimately insufficient to sustain the board’s support. By seconding Glover’s motions on June 1, Bennett joined Rodgers and Walker to create a unified front, culminating in the unanimous denial.