KENNEWICK — As local industry booms, fleets of trucks are traveling to and from Pasco and other Tri-Cities plants and warehouses daily.
But truckers have few options for places to stop and get the services they need — from showers and meals to pet areas and especially overnight parking.
Two developers already are planning to bring giant new truck stops to Pasco.
Together with King City Truck Stop and Love’s Travel Stop, they would create the biggest regional trucking services complex for hundreds of miles.
A Missouri-based real estate company, SRB Real Estate Investments, plans to build the Big Apple Travel Center, according to documents under review by the State Environmental Policy Act Register.
It would be on the west side of Highway 395, north of the King City Truck Stop and near the growing number of food processing facilities in the area.
Set for just over 10 acres on Industrial Way and Rainier Avenue, the property would include 55 truck parking spots, along with a truck scale and wash bays.
There would also be a convenience store and restaurant.
Another truck stop is proposed by the Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation. Documents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs show that stop would be on 34 acres on the east side of Highway 395 at Kartchner Street and Capitol Avenue.
Plans for a 13,155-square-foot Pasco Travel Plaza show a fuel station and 1,350 parking spaces, including 36 truck parking spots.
Located near the Colville Reservation’s proposed future casino, the travel plaza would include retail space, a convenience store and a trucker’s lounge with restrooms and showers. There also would be an retail and office building with the possibility of future tenants.
With the increasing interest in truck stop services, Pasco city officials are pushing to get rules in place to better regulate overnight parking.
‘Growing industrial development’
The travel centers would meet a growing need in the city, with Amazon and Darigold contributing to an increase in local freight travel.
A 2020 survey found that 98% of truck drivers report having problems finding safe parking, said the Federal Highway Association.
Washington state does not have sufficient truck parking spaces and is ranked among the lowest in the country for truck parking availability, said the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Amazon’s open fulfillment center in Pasco, Project Oyster, is expected to generate more than 1,700 weekday trips, with peak traffic volumes between 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. in the evening.
Truck trips will account for 16% of total daily trips.
Its twin Amazon building across the street, Project Pearl, has no opening date scheduled but when it does, it will have a similar impact and is expected to generate about 720 car trips per day and 350 truck trips.
In addition, Darigold Inc., the Seattle-based dairy cooperative, broke ground on a state-of-the-art $600 million plant on at 8201 N. Railroad Ave. nearly two years ago. It’s expected to open in early 2025.
There’s also a third, smaller Amazon delivery facility, Project Hawk, and a UPS warehouse in the works on Capitol Avenue.
The future traffic will add to the hundreds of trucks already delivering to and from Reser’s Fine Foods, Twin City Foods, FedEx, Syngenta Seeds and other companies in the area.
Overnight truck stop rules
Pasco’s Planning Commission is now considering adding a new use to the city’s code that would allow developers to build facilities where truck drivers can stay in their trucks overnight or even longer.
The proposed change comes during a nationwide shortage of places where truck drivers can safely stop and park.
U.S. Department of Transportation rules require property-carrying truck drivers to take at least 30-minute breaks after driving for up to eight hours. They may not drive beyond 14 hours without taking at least a 10-hour break.
Pasco officials are discussing that those facilities would need to be on a maximum of 15 acres off the interstate, with access to and from Highway 395, Highway 12, Highway 95, State Route 397 or Interstate 182, the major local highways and truck routes.
The overnight parking areas would only be allowed in industrial zones with a buffer of at least 1,000 feet from residential or mixed-use areas.
“The growing industrial development creates more need for freight drivers in the Northwest,” said Jacob Gonzalez, Pasco’s community and economic development director. “Pasco and the Tri-Cities are home to several important routes on the map.”
“It’s been an unmet need,” he said.
Commercial truck drivers would be allowed to park, access on-site amenities and sleep in their trucks for up to 72 hours within a 96 hour-period.
The planning commission has recommended 24-hour, on-site management, an automatic closing gate with a security camera, permanent single-use occupancy restrooms and pet areas. Possible amenities include showers, laundry and recreational facilities.
The commission plans a second public hearing on the draft ordinance at its meeting on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Project background
The request for new rules for truck stops in Pasco first started in January 2024 when a local developer, B4 Development, representing Tiger Parking, considered building an overnight truck parking area off Lewis Street in east Pasco.
General Manager John Scheline told the Herald that B4 Development has since withdrawn its application because there was a “prolonged timeline” working with the city.
The property also would have been excluded by the draft ordinance because it is currently commercially zoned and within 1,000 feet of residential areas.
“We encourage the city to be more adaptable and business-friendly, even when presented with new and unconventional business models,” Scheline said in a statement to the Herald. “The ability to evolve is critical for fostering growth and innovation which is something Pasco has struggled with in the past.”
Tiger Parking is now looking at other cities along Interstate 182 and Interstate 90 where it could build. Scheline didn’t say if something else is planned for the Lewis Street property.
