Updated: 5:05 p.m.

There will be no Buc-ee’s on Monument Hill, at least as far as Palmer Lake is concerned.

A bitter fight over whether or not the giant convenience store with more than 100 gas pumps would come to Monument Hill in northern El Paso County ended Wednesday when the company withdrew its proposal. Palmer Lake, a town of nearly 2,700, is now left to pick up the broken pieces. 

Buc-ee’s, the Texas chain of travel stops known for its smiling beaver mascot and sparkling bathrooms, has withdrawn its proposal to build its second Colorado location in Palmer Lake, just off southbound Interstate 25.

The move was confirmed by Mark Waller, a former state lawmaker and El Paso county commissioner who served as a consultant and an on-the-ground face for Buc-ee’s in Palmer Lake, where he’s also a resident.

It was not immediately clear why the company decided to end its interest in the location but the proposal faced an uphill battle politically.

The town’s trustees — with two current vacancies and a makeup that scarcely resembles the board when Buc-ee’s first approached Palmer Lake in 2024 — were in the midst of deciding when the town should vote on the proposed annexation that would allow Buc-ee’s to become part of Palmer Lake. 

It’s a decision voters in the town wanted a direct say in when they passed a measure during a special election in September that now requires citizen approval before any annexation.

However, the town trustees could not decide when the vote should take place. In previous meetings, the town’s former attorney, Scott Krob, gave conflicting advice.

In October, the board voted to send the annexation question to a special election prior to considering zoning conditions but pushed setting a date until after the new year.

Krob resigned in December, and though he said he’d stay on until other representation could step in, the trustees decided “that continued reliance on existing legal guidance posed a greater risk to lawful process and impartial deliberation than a short transition period,” according to a note from trustee Roger Moseley.

Kat Gayle, lawyer for advocacy group Integrity Matters, which had been opposing the development, released a statement that said the withdrawal “reflects what residents have been saying all along: this location was wrong.”

“This outcome did not happen by accident. It happened because citizens organized, spoke out, voted, and refused to be ignored,” Gayle said.

While Colorado’s governor and two U.S. senators also asked Buc-ee’s to reconsider its choice of location last year, the company remained steadfast in its efforts to persuade the town until now. 

Lamar and Pueblo even courted Buc-ee’s as alternative locations. 

“We knew it was going to be a fight,” said Sean Sawyer of Tri-Lakes Preservation, which formed as a direct result of Buc-ee’s exploration of the area. “And we are not opposed to developing that property. What we were concerned with is the unchecked and unsustainability of something like the largest gas station in the world. 

“This is a huge win,” Sawyer said.

But opponents of Buc-ee’s on Monument Hill also said they suspect the fight isn’t over. They anticipate the company will make an appeal directly to El Paso County for the ability to build, which requires a large amount of water and other infrastructure.

“If Buc-ee’s chooses to continue pursuing this location despite such overwhelming opposition — from voters, residents, conservation leaders, and elected officials at every level — it raises a fundamental question about what kind of business partner they intend to be,” said Gayle.

In a statement, Buc-ee’s said the company is still interested in the project.

“This decision is not a reflection of Buc-ee’s interest in the community, but rather a step back to thoughtfully consider options under more stable and clearly defined circumstances. Buc-ee’s will provide additional comment when and if circumstances change.”