The Baker City Planning Commission has approved a sign design review for a Love’s truck stop and travel center east of Interstate 84.

Commissioners OK’d the proposal Wednesday, Feb. 15.

The decision is subject to appeal to the Baker City Council for 12 days after the commission’s decision is finalized, said Tara Micka, senior planner with the Baker City/County Planning Department. If there is no appeal, the commission’s decision would be final.

The 13.3-acre site, which includes three property owners and is entirely within the city limits, is vacant. The site starts at the intersection of Campbell Street and Best Frontage Road, east of the Super 8 motel, and extends to the north and northwest.

According to a project narrative from an engineering firm working for Love’s, the truck stop would include two structures of about 11,000 square-feet each.

One would include a convenience store with a “quick service restaurant and drive thru.” The narrative doesn’t list which franchise the restaurant would be.

The other building would include a truck tire shop.

The facility would also include a truck scale, gasoline and diesel pumps, and separate parking areas for cars (67 spots) and commercial trucks (67 spots).

The truck stop would have four access driveways, according to the narrative.

The parking lot, fuel pumps and restaurant drive-thru would be accessed from Campbell Street to the south, and Best Frontage Road to the east. That part of the travel center, catering to passenger car traffic, would be at the south side of the development, nearest Campbell Street.

The truck parking, fuel pumps and tire shop would have truck driveways off Best Frontage Road.

The truck stop would connect to existing city water and sewer mains which are on the property.

Shawn Baker, a real estate project manager for Love’s, said the company had hoped to start construction in April of this year.

But he doesn’t think that’s likely in part due to pending permits with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Baker said ODOT is requiring Love’s to widen the eastbound offramp at the Campbell Street interchange to accommodate the increase in the truck traffic that travel center would generate.

Baker said construction will take about eight months, so he said it would be “tough” to open the travel center before the end of 2023.

“We’re excited to be there,” he said on Monday, Jan. 23.

There are seven Love’s travel centers in Oregon — Ontario, Boardman, Madras, Troutdale, Albany, Roseburg and Klamath Falls.

Baker said the company seeks to have a travel center about every 150 miles of freeway, although the interval can be shorter on more heavily traveled routes such as Interstate 5.

Another development east of the freeway

Love’s is the second major commercial development planned on the east side of Interstate 84.

In September 2022 the Baker County Planning Commission approved Maverik Inc.’s application to build the company’s second gas station/convenience store in Baker City.

Maverik, which opened its current store, at 1520 Campbell St., in November 2011, plans to build the new business just east of Interstate 84 near the North Baker City interchange, exit 302. The property is just southeast of the freeway overpass.

Cassie Younger, Maverik’s planning project manager, said last fall that she expected the new location to open in 2024. The Campbell Street location will continue to operate after the new store opens, she said.