Pilot truck stop proposed for I-380 in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - A new truck stop is being planned on Interstate 380 at the south edge of Cedar Rapids.

Pilot Travel Centers, one of the largest truck stop travel center brands in the country, is working on a location with a restaurant, convenience store and fueling pumps at the northeast corner of Wright Brothers Boulevard and Interstate 380.

'They are just looking for a good location to put a truck stop in,” said Joe Lawrence, of Solon, who co-owns the land with Martha Kane.

Pilot and the landowners are asking the Cedar Rapids City Council to rezone 6.3 acres of land at 8950 Earhart Lane SW from agricultural to commercial and approve a preliminary site plan. The City Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday to set a public hearing for 4 p.m., June 27 at City Hall, 101 N. First St. SE.

Lawrence said the land was purchased in the 1970s with the idea some day it would be an appealing commercial location given the volume of traffic, which has grown to about 52,000 vehicles per day, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. An Iowa State University Center for Transportation and Research report estimated 8 to 15 percent of traffic on I-380 is trucks or buses.

The Pilot would have competition in the area with Casey's and Kwik Star stations catering to trucks nearby just west of I-380.

The Pilot site plans call for an 8,249-square-foot, one-story building on 192,475 square feet of hard surface area, 58 parking spaces for regular vehicles and an additional 35 spaces for trucks. The site would have stormwater management techniques applied to the north part of the property, which is bordered by Wright Brothers Boulevard and Earhart Lane.

The first City Council vote is slated for June 27, and two additional votes would be required to finalize the rezoning.

City staff noted the rezoning is in line with the city's future land use map and comprehensive plan, but recommended approval should come with several conditions, including buffers for light and noise to minimize impact on nearby residences, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant parking and enclosures or screening to hide trash and mechanical systems.

l Comments: (319) 339-3177; brian.morelli@thegazette.com