Laurel council approves annexation for Love's Travel Stops project, assigns Highway Commercial zoning

The City Council of the City of Laurel on Jan. 13 unanimously approved Resolution No. R26-01 to annex roughly 10.31 acres at 415 19th Ave W and assign an initial Laurel Highway Commercial (HC) zoning designation to the tract for concurrent review, a step the applicant said is needed to extend city water and sewer to the site.

According to the applicant’s representative, Shawn Baker, the conceptual plan calls for a five-acre RV park with 24 overnight stalls, restrooms with showers, laundry facilities intended for guests, gated access with a code, and a dog park; Baker described the project as intended for short-term stays rather than long-term camping. CAO Kurt Markegard reviewed the staff report, which described the petition as compliant with Part 46 annexation requirements and the city’s Growth Policy.

Why it matters: the annexation would allow municipal water and sewer service to be extended to the property to support commercial development the staff report says is consistent with the Laurel Growth Policy. The staff report also states that extending urban services will be at the owner’s expense and that right-of-way dedications will be required as part of the annexation process.

What the council heard: Council members raised traffic concerns about the nearby Hwy 10 and 19th Avenue intersection. The applicant responded that the RV park would not have a significant traffic impact and noted that traffic issues are discussed during pre-application review. The staff report recommends approval, finding the requested HC zoning consistent with surrounding uses and describing the proposal’s compliance with a 12-point test for zoning consideration.

Formal action: Council Member Jodi Mackay moved to approve Resolution No. R26-01; Council Member Irv Wilke seconded the motion. The roll call vote was 8-0 in favor.

Details from the staff report: the property is identified as Tract 7A-1 (approximately 10.31 acres) and is addressed as 415 19th Ave W. The report states the annexation petition was signed by 100% of the owners and that the proposed HC zone is consistent with the Growth Policy and with the prevailing county highway commercial zoning. The report concludes the request is in the city’s interest and that infrastructure extensions will be at the owner’s cost.

Next steps: the annexation and initial zoning proceed under the city’s annexation procedures; required infrastructure plans, right-of-way dedications, and any required traffic analyses would be reviewed in subsequent permit and site-plan processes.

Note on sourcing: statements attributed to Shawn Baker and staff summaries are paraphrases of remarks and the staff report as recorded in the council minutes and the attached staff report; the transcript provided did not include verbatim quoted lines for those remarks.