Why some residents are calling for block to Louisa truck stop vote

LOUISA COUNTY, Va. -- Some Louisa County residents are raising concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest with a proposed Love’s Truck Stop that could be built in the county.

CBS 6 will hide the identities of some of these residents who are calling the situation "bad optics."

These people believe the county is allegedly concealing the connection between Love’s and a member of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Toni Williams.

Williams' son is an attorney representing Love’s, something residents say is an issue since Williams will have a vote on whether or not the truck stop will come to the area.

“If you care about the people, you are representing having faith in you making an unbiased decision then that is not a position you put yourself in," they said.

In recent months, the potential project drew dozens to neighborhood meetings.

The truck stop would sit alongside Cross County Road or Route 522 in Gum Spring, which lies on the Louisa, Goochland County line.

While these residents are opposed to the greater project, they take greater concern with what they call a lack of transparency with what could be going on behind closed doors.

“You feel like an ant fighting a boot that is coming down. You feel like your voice doesn’t matter," they said. "We feel like we’re fighting for principle even though we are likely to lose."

CBS 6 was unable to directly get a hold of both Supervisor Williams and his son over the last week. However, a county spokesperson issued a statement in response to our request.

The spokesperson said the board will discuss the issue at their meeting next Monday.

That meeting is ahead of the planning commission, which will hold a preliminary vote later next week.

A media representative for Love’s also weighed into the issue:

“Love's engaged Mr. Williams based on his legal experience and qualifications and is not aware of any conflict of interest."

For neighbors, this decision is much more than a new development, which is why they believe Supervisor Williams must step down for the vote.

“Our concern isn’t the legality it’s the morality," they said. "If your only metric for making a decision is if this is legal then I don’t think you are doing a good job thinking about the people you are representing."

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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