Hunterdon County Democrat Article:

Union Township -- Nearly 150 residents packed the Municipal Building for the first public meeting on Pilot Travel Center's plan to raze Johnny's Truck Stop and build a "travel center." They were sandwiched shoulder-to-shoulder to aggressively question Pilot, a result of concerns about increased pollution, traffic, crime and the potential contamination of Spruce Run Reservoir that they fear the project could cause. Dave Parsons, Pilot's architect, said Johnny's, a more than 14,000-square-foot truck stop off Route 78's Exit 12, would be leveled. Pilot would build a 7,956-square-foot travel center that would contain a Subway sandwich shop, game room, shower and laundry facilities and a convenience store. Robert Stout, Pilot's engineer, said car and truck circulation would be improved, lighting pole heights decreased, a better septic system installed and nearly 350 trees and shrubs planted. With the Board of Adjustment expecting testimony from several more Pilot professionals and many in the public eager to speak against the plan from the nation's largest operator of travel centers, just how long hearings will last is unknown, but Grace Kocher, board secretary said residents will be given ample time to question and comment before the board votes. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building.

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Around the Towns for week of Aug. 24, 2006

 

Hunterdon County Democrat Article:

Union Township -- The hearing on Pilot Travel Center's plan to raze Johnny's and build a 7,956-square-foot travel center is scheduled to continue on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. at the just-built elementary school on Perryville Road, across from the Municipal Building. District Superintendent John Sico said the new cafeteria can seat "well over 300 people" and will, he hopes, accommodate all residents who attend. Planning Board Chairman John Scott said officials decided to switch to the larger venue because of requests from residents. People packed shoulder-to-shoulder into the small hearing room for the July 27 meeting, and some residents showed up and "left because they didn't want to stand out in the hall" or at the back of the room, said Mr. Scott. "That was by far" the most crowded meeting he'd ever seen in Union Township, he said, and officials anticipate the next one will bring a similar turnout. Union Township residents appear overwhelmingly to want to keep the travel center from being built at the site, just off Exit 12 of Route 78.