Love's Travel Stops planning center in south Bibb County

A large truck fueling center with a retail store and two fast-food restaurants may be coming to Middle Georgia.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores Inc. has filed a conditional-use application with the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission. If approved, it would allow construction of a travel center on about 17 acres at 5189, 5211 and 5251 Sardis Church Road, at the interchange off Interstate 75 in the I-75 Business Park.

Plans call for a primary building with nearly 14,000 square feet of space, which would include a retail convenience store and two fast-food restaurants, one of which would have a drive-thru window, according to a report filed by Chipola Engineering Group out of Florida.

A separate 7,590-square-foot tire service and truck maintenance building is proposed to service semitruck customers.

The center would include seven passenger car fueling stations and 10 fuel bay lanes for semitruck fueling. It also would have certified scales, about 120 semitruck parking spaces, about 70 passenger vehicle parking spaces and four spaces for recreational vehicles.

"The proposed spaces are based on comparison with other Love's Travel Stop locations with similar traffic and similar in size," the report said.

Access to the center would from Frank Amerson Parkway, a two-lane road in the business park.

The property is owned by the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority, and sewer service will be provided by a proposed sanitary sewer extension now being planned and to be constructed by the authority.

"This development will be designed to comply with all aspects of the zoning ordinance and will provide an upscale, attractive business that will an asset to the local community," according to the report.

The application is expected to be addressed during Monday's meeting, which begins at 1:30 p.m.

Love's has eight locations in Georgia, according to the company's website.

To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223 or follow her on Twitter@MidGaBiz.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 6:12 PM with the headline "Love's Travel Stops planning center in south Bibb County ."