Gettysburg Commons residents voiced concerns regarding the relocation of the Gateway Truck & Refrigeration facility to a location near their subdivision at the Bell Road and the North Service Road. 

The matter was on the agenda to discuss a conditional use permit and site plan for the new Gateway Truck facility, which is a sales and repair facility for Volvo trucks, during the Wright City Board of Aldermen meeting Dec. 30.

Following some extended discussion, the board voted unanimously, 4-0 to approve the conditional use permit and site plan with the condition of removing as few already existing trees as possible.

Civil engineer Sean Ackley with Engenuity made the presentation for Gateway. Ackley said the property is 25.5 acres. He said the proposed project would include a showroom building, repair facility, drivers’ pavilion with a dog park, a storage building and secured parking for trucks and trailers.

Gettysburg Commons resident Jill Beedy, who attended the meeting via Zoom, said no one at Gettysburg Commons was made aware of the proposal until a couple of days before the meeting. She also wanted to know how the facility could be proposed near three schools. She voiced concerns about safety for students.

Mayor Michelle Heiliger noted that the business is currently near a school on Roelker Road. Heiliger also added that the main traffic for the facility would come off of the North Service Road and not off of Bell Road.

Beedy said she was concerned about students riding their bikes from subdivisions near the proposed facility.

Alderman Ramiz Hakim said the property for the proposed facility has been zoned commercial for well over a decade. He noted it is also highway frontage and is currently zoned C-4. He told Beedy that the reason residents of Gettysburg Commons were not notified is because there is no zoning change for the property. Hakim said the valid concern he heard in Beedy’s comments was how to prevent semi-truck traffic from going north on Bell Road and getting on Wildcat Drive.

“That is a valid discussion we should talk about and since this is a CUP, there are some restrictions we can apply to this specific development to try our very best not to allow that to happen.” Hakim said.

Alderman Karey Owens said there is a good amount of buffer between students and the proposed facility.

Beedy asked about the noise coming from the facility, and Owens asked what the hours of operation of the business would be. Aaron Pollard with Gateway said that the business’ hours of operation is 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. He said there is also a 24 hour on-call possibility, but it is minimal. Pollard said the business would see about 30 to 40 trucks per day.

Alderman Kim Arbuthnot said she lives near Gateway’s current facility and she has never heard any noise from the facility. She said she sees the business as a huge asset to the community.

Beedy said she was also concerned that the facility would be an eyesore, but Heiliger said the facility was going to be one of the nicest facilities in the city.

Another resident of Gettysburg Commons said he was concerned about the building being an eyesore.He said no one who lives in the subdivision should have to look at the facility.

Gateway representatives said there would be ornamental fencing around the perimeter of the facility as well as landscaping around the backside of the facility. They also intend to leave the majority of the trees in the back of the lot.

Pollard said the main reason Gateway is building the new facility is because they are leasing their current location, but will own the proposed business.