Susanville planning commission, then council, approve Love's travel center entitlements after contested public hearing
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Summary
After lengthy public comment, Susanville planning commissioners certified an EIR and recommended—and the City Council later approved—initiating annexation and amending the general plan to permit a Love's travel center at SR-36 and Skyline Road; supporters cited safety and tax revenue, opponents raised concerns about traffic, light, noise and local business impacts.
Susanville planning staff and elected officials moved forward with a proposed Love's Travel Stops development on a 79-acre parcel after a public hearing that drew dozens of residents and business owners.
Heather Gerwitz, a senior planner with Metropolitan Planning Group, told the Planning Commission the final environmental impact report (EIR) found no significant and unavoidable impacts once mitigation measures are applied and recommended three actions: certify the EIR, recommend a general-plan amendment to designate APN 107-28-0017 as general commercial (shopping center), and conditionally approve the architectural site plan, use permit and related entitlements with a mitigation monitoring and reporting program. Gerwitz described required mitigations for biological resources, waters of the U.S., tribal and paleontological resources, landscaping, signalization, idling limits and signage.
The applicant's representative, Anthony Beavers of Love's (who identified himself at the council hearing), said Love's would operate the project as a travel center serving both passenger vehicles and trucks, with RV hookups and a reservation system for overnight stays. Beavers said Love's expects to monitor site activity with continuous video surveillance and to coordinate with local law enforcement; "we are not bringing something to your community that's going to degrade what you already have," he said.
Residents and local business owners voiced a range of concerns during public comment. Several speakers said they had not received timely notice of the project and asked for broader community outreach; others described worries about increased traffic at the SR-36/Main Street junction, nighttime lighting and air quality, groundwater and spill risk, competition for local gas stations and restaurants, and fears that a 24-hour facility could attract illicit activity. One commenter, Martin Bowling, said: "We should not be creating competition for our existing businesses"; another asked for the project to be discussed in a larger public venue.
Supporters said the travel center would improve safety and provide rest options for long-haul drivers. Longtime resident Gary Bridges said the project would give trucks a safer place to pull off Highway 395 and provide modest local revenue.
At the close of the Planning Commission hearing, commissioners voted to approve the three staff-recommended resolutions. The item then moved to the City Council, where staff again outlined the annexation and general-plan steps required to implement the entitlements and reminded the council that annexation is processed through the local LAFCO. After a second public comment period and responses from Love's representatives about security procedures, council members voted to initiate annexation, adopt the general-plan amendment recommendation and adopt the CEQA findings supporting the project.
Staff and the applicant said a remaining step will be coordination with Caltrans on off-site circulation improvements; Love's representatives estimated that, assuming regulatory approvals, construction might begin in 2027. Council and commission approvals establish the discretionary entitlements but include conditions and monitoring requirements intended to reduce potential environmental impacts.
The council vote was recorded as approving the resolutions; staff will return with final documents and subsequent zoning ordinance actions needed to implement the entitlements.
