Writer: Truck Center Not a Good Idea
I have deep concerns over the possibility of a truck center being built near my home and one of the largest elementary schools in the county. I am honestly surprised that the county is even considering this type of commercial development in the area. I would like to point out just a few of the many reasons a truck stop is not a good idea.
The jobs that this industry creates usually do not pay a living wage and do not include any types of benefits for the employees. We hope these are not the kinds of jobs we are recruiting and encouraging for Washington County. We should have higher expectations for our residents and more respect for our community.
This area is already dangerously congested at times with the existing local traffic. The intersection of Lee Highway and Glenbrook Avenue is extremely difficult to navigate without adding large numbers of tractor and trailer trucks to the equation.
I moved back here from the city to get away from this type of landscape. I left a better paying job in Oklahoma City to come home and enjoy the farms and the quiet. I already avoid going to Glade Spring because it is a dangerous and frustrating experience to drive there because of the truck traffic.
A truck stop brings crime and undesirables to the neighborhood. This can be verified by checking the crime statistics in Glade Spring.
I am a long-time resident of Washington County and feel that a truck stop next door to our school would not be beneficial to the school system or the community.
A truck center is not what is needed at this particular exit in Meadowview.
Allison K. Linder
Meadowview, Va.
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Ms. Lender, I truly respect your concerns prataining to the safety for the children at M.E.S. and the dangers you forsee that increased traffic could potentualy cause Meadowview. But do you honestly not see how your same concerns can also be applied to just about any type of business or industry that might want do locate in the same place as Love’s Truck Center wants to.
Example: look at the developement at Exit 7, traffic nightmares, low paying jobs without benefits, increase in traffic accidents, increase danger to students at Wallace Middle School and John Battle High. And speaking of increase drug traffic, visit Wal-Mart late at night sometimes, the class of people there change drastically.
Due to the Exit 7 developement property taxes, in Waashington Co. Exit 7 corridor, has increased 35/45% in the last 5 years. What did the residents in that corridor get for their tax dollars, in the way of benefits to their communities, ZERO.
Using your analysis this property in Meadowview isn’t suited for anything other than a lemon stand run by students from Meadowview Elementary. So please, if you don’t mind, give me an example of what you think is needed at this particular exit. I read where people either oppose or approve of the addition but they fail to give an opinion on what they would like to see the property used for.
Thank You Ma,am.
Next?
Hey Lady…Why dont you go back to OK….That is where Loves is based isn’t it??? Dont act stupid because if you came from here then you already know ALL the DESIRABLES BY NAME IN MEADOWVIEW…..I DO….AND IF YOU DON’T THEN YOUR NOT FROM MEADOWVIEW….Give us a break will ya!!
You have got to be joking when you say you don’t like to go to Glade because it is dangerouse and frustrating to drive in, and you came from Oklahoma City?????????You say it is extremely hard to navigate on Glenbrook Ave.the road coming from Lee Hwy. and going into a town so small there is no traffic lights and not even incorporated, no stores or anything???????? Already dangerously congested with the existing traffic??? Lady you are in the WRONG town!!! You have got to be thinking about Oklahoma because there is nothing like that in Meadowview.You are either making a big joke or you are a lunatick!! You say it will bring UNDESIRABLES in the neighborhood, guess what, we already have undesirables in the neighborhood and YOU know what I mean….
I’m on a department who had their budget cut this year just like all agencies had their budgets cut this year. If the County BOS takes this anti business approach as they have toward the travel center then who knows if or when another business will try to locate here. If I was looking at this county I would sure look at how Loves has been treated and I would either skip this county or this state completely. Who wants to fight an orginized group like the VOP and our own board members?
B.O.S., do the right thing here, Loves has went beyond what they are required to do in order to bring this to Meadowview.
As someone who lived in Meadowview all of my life, we need this travel center and any other business would like to come to Meadowview. It would be nice to see someone buy the land used by the chestnut tree farm and develop it as well since the chesnut tree farm is now located at a different location off of RT. 11. We need business and growth in Meadowview and we need this as a start. People in Meadowview have lived with nothing for long enough. I hope to see this project move forward soon.
your right about the exit 19 truck stop…I have been trying to tell these people and the B.O.S. that the truck stop was closing…I was told that Oct. will be the closing for the truck part at 19…I should have guessed about WHO she was or WHO she was with…THAT SHOULD TELL PEOPLE ALOT…
Peterbuilt, I think Allyson goes to church with a Dayle Zanzinger who’s husband is a big shot with the chestnut farm, he is the Staff Pathologist I believe. The church is the unitarian universalist church of the highlands. This is why she wrote the letter I’m guessing.
Lets go over the benefits of the center since the writer wants to mention what she thinks is the negitives.
1) Jobs, some will be full time with benefits, others will be part time and this will give the teenages a part time job which will in turn teach responsibility, instead of them having free time to get hooked on all the drugs that are already in Meadowview.
2)A place for the Meadowview people to get a tank of gas and somewhere that we can afford to sit down and eat a mead that is affordable and edible, we have neither as of right now.
3) The MES will be hooked up to sewer at no charge to the county, their current system is 30 years old and is suspect of polluting cedar creek, this will be investigated by the EPA/DEQ when school resumes, I will see to it myself that they are contacted if they havent been already.
4) Tax money to the county and state and I don’t even have to tell everyone how every dollar is needed at this point.
5) Adjoining landowners value will instantly go way up because of the improvements to the roads and sewer
6) A place for truckers to park, for the ones that didn’t believe what was said about the exit 19 truck stop need to drive by and look at what is going on right now. Lowes will be in business by Christmas.
I could go on but I think you get the picture.
I do not live in Meadowview, but I do go in the Petro at exit 29 a couple of times a week. I have been seeing a lot of the same employees there for years. Those jobs may not pay what you call a living wage, but apparently some people either like or need those jobs. Besides, once the facility is operational, you can start a community based organizing drive to get these employees in a union. Once these employees are in a union, the jobs will pay a living wage or Loves will close and move to a community that is not as supportive of it’s workers. Either way, your concerns will be satisfied.
This poor lady has bought into the fear tatics being used by the VOP, guessing she is either a member or was coached on this letter, it just sounds too similar to what they (VOP) has been spreading.
I know Mr Hopp is one that keeps talking about the crime that happens at the GS TS, someone should call the Sheriff and get his opinion on what goes on there, he will tell you and you won’t have to believe what you read on here.
Listen to the scanner and see how many people get arrested daily for felony shoplifting at Walmart, the number of calls there is unreal. Funny I never hear the police called to the GS TS.
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