Travel plaza to include Denny's

By PAUL STONE
Palestine Herald-Press The Palestine Herald-Press Wed Jan 26, 2011, 06:30 AM CST

PALESTINE — The Palestine City Council on Monday OK’d a zoning change, opening the door for construction of a travel plaza at the intersection of West Oak Street and Knox Street in the Westwood area.

Developers say the travel plaza will include a convenience store; fueling areas for both large trucks and passenger cars; a “tunnel” car wash; and an approximately 4,500 square foot Denny’s restaurant which is projected to be open by the end of the year.

The travel plaza will be “very similar” to one currently operating on U.S. 59 South in Carthage, according to developers.

To pave the way for the plaza, the council unanimously approved a zoning charge for the 6-acre tract of land, changing it from C-3, General Retail Commercial District, to C-4, Highway Commercial District.

The city’s planning & zoning commission had recommended that the council approve the zoning change.



Also on Monday, Elizabeth Saegert was introduced as the city’s interim finance director by interim City Manager Michael Ohrt.

Saegert is a certified public accountant who has worked for the City of Ferris and also for “not for profit” agencies.

“It is my honor to have this opportunity to serve the City of Palestine,” Saegert said during the open meeting. “I’m really excited about it. It’s a beautiful city. This is a wonderful opportunity for me...I like working for cities. It’s a challenge.”

Bobby Pennington, the city’s former finance director, left his position last month to accept a similar job with the City of Fort Worth.

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com

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