Under heavy pressure from town officials, a
Pilot
Travel
Center
in
Burns Harbor
,
IN
, is going to add security and a traffic
barrier to its parking lot.
The Post-Tribune of
Gary
reported that an agreement was reached between Pilot and the City Council just
before the council was set to take legal action Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Under the agreement, Pilot will hire its own security and will build a
concrete barrier to prevent vehicles exiting the parking lot from making left
turns onto U.S. 20.
The Post-Tribune said the move comes following complaints of crime and traffic congestion from
residents and from the council.
Police Chief Jerry Price said his department doesn’t have the manpower
to handle the calls it was receiving from the area near the truck stop.
In 2004, Pilot agreed to provide security in exchange for more parking
spaces at the stop. But when no action was taken, the city filed an injunction
against Pilot asking Porter County Superior Court to force the truck stop to
comply.
The injunction was to have been presented Tuesday, but was scrapped
after Pilot reached an agreement with the council.
Pilot will provide security at the stop for eight hours a day beginning
Friday, Dec. 9. By Jan. 9, Pilot must increase that to 16 hours a day.
