Hearing On New Pilot Truck Stop Set For February 25
Pilot Travel Center would like to build a new restaurant and fueling facility in Tulare close to the current Loves Truck Stop on Paige at Hwy 99 as we told you back in December. Now the company under the Pilot/Flying J brand has started the environmental review process for the project filing a notice with the city on a preliminary plan. The proposed truck stop will gets its first hearing Thursday February 25 at Tulare City Hall.
Currently, Pilot Flying J is the largest purveyor of over-the-road diesel fuel in the United States. Pilot Flying J also is known as the largest travel center chain in the country with more than 550 locations under the Pilot and Flying J brands.
The notice says the company seeks approval of a travel center that includes development of 12 acres for regional travel serving uses. Implementation of the project would involve the development of fueling facilities, traveler amenities, and parking facilities for passing motorists and commercial truck operators. The operational characteristics of the proposed project include the development of travel support facilities that would include: 9 diesel fueling lanes, 8 gas fueling dispensers 112 tuck parking spaces, 93 passenger vehicle parking spaces, one 13,740 sf building that will include: a drivers lounge, retail space, and quick service restaurants.
A similar size Pilot truck stop is in the construction phase in Lathrop, several hours north on Hwy 99.
Woodlake To Get Community Center
The City of Woodlake is planning to build a new community center. The proposed project includes construction of a 12,500 sf City community center with full-court indoor basketball facility, office space, and space for relocation of the local library. The project is located on 3 parcels in the City’s downtown area, and will be adjacent to a planned outdoor plaza and parking lot. Construction equipment would be staged on site. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring of 2017.
Three Airlines File Bids For Visalia Air Service
Visalia recently lost scheduled air service as SeaPort Airlines discontinued service from Visalia to Burbank and Sacramento in mid January. and mysteriously closed up all their operations in the state.
Wasting little time the Department of Transportation (DOT) called for a new bidding round January 20 under the Essential Air Service(ESA) subsidy available to Visalia.
Now three airlines have filed notice with the DOT that they would like to take over the contract to offer regular flights to other California cities from Visalia. The city has been asked to respond to the bids by February 25.
The three airlines are Great Lakes who lost out to SeaPort after several years of rocky service to this community, Boutique Airlines of San Francisco and Hawaii-based Mokulele Airlines.
Mokulele may be the least expensive asking for a $2.1 million subsidy. They would fly 24 weekly round-trip flights to LAX. All three would duplicate that schedule. Great Lakes asks for $2.6 million and Boutique Air says they want $3.5 million to provide regular service to both LAX and Oakland or Sacramento.
The Visalia City Council could choose to take an alternate offer – $3 million from the DOT – to use for our airport and give up on the ESA after years of trying to make it work. That would leave the city to boost efforts for private commercial use and freight air service. Passengers would be encouraged to fly in and out of Fresno.