ARLINGTON – The city issued a special use permit on Dec. 7 after a hearing examiner’s ruling that will enable the Pilot Travel Center project to go forward at Island Crossing.

The truck stop and fuel giant plans to build a 9,520-square-foot Travel Center on 12 acres at 2430 Highway 530 NE east of Interstate 5 and alongside Smokey Point Boulevard.

The center will feature a drive-through Arby’s, PJ Fresh, Cinnabon, retail space, outdoor seating, eight truck fueling lanes, 12 gas pumps for cars and three for RVs, parking, a CAT scale for trucks, restrooms, showers and laundry.

Hearing examiner Ted Hunter convened a hearing Oct. 26. Attorneys for Arlington Fuel Stop owner Balbir Singh argued about an unresolved dispute over a shared easement between Pilot Travel Center and his property.

To avoid future conflict, Hunter asked the parties to sign an agreement regarding use of the easement, but that didn’t happen. Ultimately, he issued a Post-Hearing Order, and reopened the hearing Nov. 29 to resolve the issue.

City staff recommended removing a landscaping requirement, curbing between the Pilot Travel and Arlington Fuel Stop property and that for future fuel stop development the one-lane access easement should be improved to a two-way to benefit both businesses.

The permits carries more than two dozen conditions ranging from compliance with city codes and state environmental regulations to mitigating impacts related to traffic, surface water and storm water runoff and wetlands protection.

The Travel Center would reportedly create as many as 70 jobs.

A company economic impact study stated the Travel Center should generate more than $5 million state and local tax revenues annually, with more than $200,000 anticipated to go to the city as sales and property tax.

Pilot/Flying J officials did not respond to a request for when construction will start, but original application documents indicated at the end of 2017.