Love’s Travel Plaza and Country Store, Arby’s open to droves of customers
Throngs of area motorists continue converging on the recently opened Love’s Travel Plaza and Country Store following its official opening last Thursday.
The 12,000 square feet facility, located at BB Highway near the I-35 exit, had just a few of its 77 parking spaces filled as residents flocked to Cameron’s newest gas station and eatery.
“Love’s is pleased to open its 20th location in Missouri and add 85 jobs to Clinton County,” said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s. “Our Cameron location will offer plenty of fresh food and drink options, clean bathrooms and much more to customers ready to get back on the road quickly and safely.”
The gas station was not the only attraction to the facility, as visitors got their beef-and-cheddar fix with the opening of the adjoining Arby’s restaurant. Along with the amenities for area travelers, Love’s also offers lifestyle enhancements for commercial and long-haul motorists including 120 semi-truck parking spaces, six RV parking spaces with available hook-ups, a maintenance station for light mechanical work - opening May 23, 10 showers, a laundromat and dog park.
Although now operational, Love’s parent company - Roserock Holdings, LLC, along with the city of Cameron, remain embroiled in a lawsuit file last summer by Cameron Regional Medical Center. During a Cameron Planning and Zoning meeting last summer, CRMC attorney Blane Markey and other nearby residents and business owners argued the new truck stop will impede emergency room access, impact the health of its patients due to the increased amount of air pollution and place unnecessary stress on the 57-year-old BB Highway bridge.
“The risk of death in trauma patients increases five percent for every minute that goes by. It doesn’t sound like a lot until it’s you,” said Markey, during the July 2021 planning and zoning meeting.
Earlier this month, recently appointed Cameron Mayor Roy Estes - an employee of CRMC - recused himself from an executive session involving the city council and city attorney Padraic Corcoran regarding the Love’s lawsuit. Estes appointment came after a 3-2 vote by the city council with Councilwoman Becky Curtis doubting his ability to avoid a conflict of interest regarding the suit.
“That is probably a little counterproductive as far as the vision and service of the people. I hope that you’re going to be able to recuse yourself when we’re dealing with the thing. You haven’t done that in the past,” said Curtis, directly addressing Estes.
