Bowman, Sheetz plan truck stop for Spielman Road; zoning board to conduct hearing

Another plan is brewing for a truck-stop-type business on Spielman Road.

This time, the plan includes a Sheetz convenience store. And, unlike earlier proposals, developers have labeled this one as a "truck stop"

"The courts have determined that this type of project is a truck stop per county definitions. It would not be considered a truck stop in most other localities," Rob Ferree, president of Bowman Development, said in an interview last week. "It's basically a standard Sheetz store with additional diesel fueling pumps for trucks."

The plan also includes 30 spaces for semi tractor-trailer parking, but no showers or other amenities for truck drivers.

And again, some area residents are opposing the plan.

In written comments submitted to the zoning board ahead of a Wednesday hearing, the residents raise concerns about traffic, safety and whether the business would change the character of the area.

Truck stop saga

At issue is the future of roughly 9 acres at Spielman and Lappans roads. The site is adjacent to an Interstate 81 interchange with Lappans Road, which is also known as Md. 68.

This is at least the third plan for some type of business on that site, which recently has been used to store semi-trailers. The property is owned by Bowman-Spielman LLC, an arm of the Bowman Group.

In the past, debate has hinged on the words "truck stop."

The county's zoning law defines a truck stop as: "A structure or land used or intended to be used primarily for the sale of fuel for trucks and, usually, long-term truck parking, incidental service or repair of trucks, overnight accommodations, or restaurant facilities open to serve the general public; or a group of facilities consisting of such as use and attendant eating, repair, sleeping or truck parking facilities."

The property is zoned as Highway Interchange, which covers a range of uses, including the storage of semi trailers. But a truck stop requires what the county's zoning code calls a "special exception" from the Board of Zoning Appeals. The special exception process includes a public hearing.

In 2001, Bowman's plans for the property included a trucking service station with a fuel station for trucks and cars, as well as truck parking and a convenience store, according to Herald-Mail Media archives. That idea did not come to fruition.

In 2017, the Washington County Planning Commission approved another plan for the property. Area residents appealed, saying the proposal for a convenience store and restaurant, fueling stations for cars and heavy trucks and a car wash amounted to a truck stop. The residents said the plans should have gone through the zoning board's public hearing process for a special exception.

That case went to court. In 2020, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled with the residents, saying the proposal fit the county code's definition of a truck stop.

In the newest plan, Bowman Group and Bowman-Spielman LLC "request a special exception to develop and operate a truck stop to be located at 15919 Lappans Road," according to the application to the Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals.

"We feel that this is the best use of the site that will serve both the local community and the travelers, both car and truck travelers, that use Interstate 81," Bowman Development's Ferree said in the interview last week.

According to the application, "The proposed truck stop is intended for the sale of fuel for trucks and short-term truck-parking accommodations." It will include six double-sided fuel dispensers and 30 parking spaces for semis. It will not offer "sleeping, bathing or showering facilities typically associated with long term or overnight truck stop facilities."

It will operate in conjunction with an adjacent, 6,807-square-foot Sheetz convenience store.

The property is near the I-81 interchange with Lappans Road and would have minimal effect on area residential properties, the application states.

If the project is approved, it would result in improvements to Spielman Road and the intersection of Spielman and Lappans Road, according to the Bowman Group.

Pros and cons

The Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals has scheduled a public hearing on the for 6 p.m. Wednesday in Courtroom One of the Washington County Courthouse, 24 Summit Ave.

Last month, Bowman Development took to social media to announce its plans.

"Over the years we had truck terminal, truck stop and convenience store users interested in the site," read a Bowman Development post on Facebook. "A convenience store at this location will serve the residents of Williamsport and Downsville, as well as the business and employees in the area, Because of its location it is only natural that it would also serve the truck fueling needs of the area and interstate. We are excited that we found a high-quality partner in Sheetz."

As of Friday, the zoning board had received eight written comments, five opposing the plan and three supporting it.

Some comments opposing the plan raise objections about potential traffic congestion, pollution and other disturbances to the area. Some of the comments center on the intersection of Lappans and Spielman roads as a potential trouble spot.

Some of the comments in favor point to the potential business benefits and the preference for a landscaped store over the current semi-trailer parking on the property.

Mike Lewis covers business, the economy and other issues. Follow Mike on Twitter: @MiLewis.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Zoning board to hear Bowman Group and Sheetz truck stop plan