Love’s wins court ruling in 6-year battle over Joliet truck stop site – Shaw Local

An Illinois appeals court has ruled in favor of Love’s Travel Stops in a legal battle that is now in its sixth year since Joliet approved a site for a new rest stop.

A Love’s spokeswoman said the company is eager to build in Joliet, while a leader of the opposition group said it hasn’t given up the fight.

In a decision released Thursday, Ottawa’s 3rd District Court of Appeal said the narrow strip of land connecting the Love site to the city of Joliet constitutes a legitimate annexation.

Love’s wants the site at the Briggs Street intersection with Interstate 80 to become part of the city of Joliet so a future truck stop can be served by city water and sewer.

Neighbors of the site opposed the annexation of the truck stop before it was approved by the Joliet City Council in October 2018. They then filed a lawsuit seeking to block the city’s approval, largely based on the claim that a 19.5 foot strip of land was used to connect the site to Joliet does not constitute legal annexation.

The appeals court’s decision upheld a Will County Circuit Court decision in favor of annexation. The appeals court added: “This decision does not create a rule regarding the minimum length that creates contiguity of properties.”

Love spokeswoman Lauren Daniels said in an email Friday that the company was pleased with the decision and looked forward to “continuing the process of becoming part of the Joliet community.”

Jacquenette Cottrell, a leader of the neighborhood group fighting the truck stop, said they haven’t given up the fight.

“It’s not over yet,” Cottrell said.

The next legal step would be to take the case to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Cottrell, however, also pointed to a change in city leadership since the City Council approved Love’s annexation.

In 2018, then-Mayor Bob O’Dekirk secured the sixth vote needed to achieve the supermajority required for annexation. The final vote was 6-3 in favor of Love’s Rest Area.

O’Dekirk is no longer mayor, and Cottrell said the new council members are sympathetic to the neighbor’s cause.

It’s unclear, however, what a new city council might do about Love’s annexation. It is unlikely the city will be able to hold another vote to overturn a previous annexation decision.