A national staple of travel centers is looking to build a new location  on Grand Island – but neighbors don’t Love the idea.

Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores has announced its interest in building a new store and gas station on 21 acres of land.

If approved, the store would be built along Whitehaven Road.

Love's hopes to be open for business by the fall of next year.

Dozens showed up at the Grand Island Planning Board meeting Monday night to show their opposition, even though it wasn’t scheduled to be an open forum.

Residents argued the store would destroy the land, introduce light and noise pollution, downplay local business and increase traffic hazards.

They also worry it could create hazardous pollutants affecting air, soil, water and human health.

"From a business standpoint it's a predatory sort of arrangement,” said Dave Reilly, cofounder of the Citizen Coalition of Wildlife and Environment. “What it would encourage is any of the drivers coming through this area to stay right on the thruway. The consequences for that specific location would be devastating."

Love's representatives asked neighbors to wait on evidence and research on the project to come out before forming an opinion.