Since an annexation request to the town of Palmer Lake to build Colorado’s second Buc-ee’s was withdrawn in early February, not much has officially happened with the land aside from a boundary line adjustment filed with El Paso County.
That move was approved Tuesday morning.
But that doesn’t mean opponents of the mega travel center, proposed about 50 miles south of the metro area in an unincorporated area along Interstate 25, are resting easy.
They have turned their attention to El Paso County with a persistent letter-writing campaign. They have pushed back against the chain — famous for its clean bathrooms, Texas-style barbecue and red-capped beaver mascot — over concerns about water usage, traffic congestion, pressure on infrastructure and more.
Their comments have since been filed and made available to the public under the county’s Electronic Development Application Review Program website.
“This project threatens to impose significant challenges on our community, including increased traffic congestion, insufficient infrastructure, strain on natural resources, and disruption to the area’s character,” wrote Monument resident Madeline Klaman to officials.
“While I support responsible and thoughtful development, a Buc-ee’s megastore is not aligned with the needs, values, or long-term interests of our community.”
North Woodmoor resident Becky Saydak said she was dismayed to find out the proposal is being considered by El Paso County.
“Monument and Palmer Lake have already rejected this proposal. I know that the governor and our senators have weighed in on the matter by writing to the head of Buc-ee’s to state that they welcome the business in Colorado but asked them not to build on that particular location,” Saydak said.
“I personally feel that there may be other locations in El Paso County (such as south of Colorado Springs) that would be better suited to a development of that size in non-residential and protected wildlife areas.”
Buc-ee’s had proposed to develop nearly 25 acres, including a 74,000-square-foot retail convenience store, 120 fuel pumps, 12 electric vehicle charging stations and 780 parking spaces, according to a fiscal impact analysis report prepared last year by Economic & Planning Systems Inc.
A shopper persues items near a display of Buc-ee’s beaver dolls in the bed of a pickup truck inside the Buc-ees store early Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Johnstwon, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Buc-ee’s was hoping to break ground in late summer 2025 with anticipated completion in late 2026, the report stated. The first Colorado Buc-ee’s opened in Johnstown in March of 2024.
However, as of Wednesday, no formal development plans for a Buc-ee’s have been submitted to El Paso County.
“We understand there is significant public interest in recent reports about a potential Buc-ee’s location in El Paso County,” said Scott Anderson, communications and public relations manager for the El Paso County Department of Communications in an email to The Post.
“At this time, El Paso County has not received a development application or proposal for a Buc-ee’s project. ”
El Paso County records show Interstate 25 Properties Ltd., a Colorado limited partnership, authorized Vertex Consulting Services LLC, in January to submit an application requesting approval for a boundary line adjustment between two unplatted parcels of land, totaling approximately 53.4 acres.
The parcels are located along Beacon Lite Road and County Line Road, near I-25. Monument Ridge West LLC, owns the County Line Road parcel, which had been planned as the location for Colorado’s second Buc-ee’s travel center.
Anderson said a boundary line adjustment changes the property line between two adjacent parcels. He added that the action does not allow construction or commercial activity, nor does it grant any zoning change or permit any land use beyond the existing regulations.
However, Anderson also said that a project such as constructing a Buc-ee’s would require a transparent public process.
“While we have not yet received a development application, assuming a Buc-ee’s model similar to that in other jurisdictions, a public hearing is required to determine the use classification (i.e. whether the application meets the Land Development Code’s existing definitions). Additional hearings may be required depending on the form of the application. However, at this point, the county has not received an application for site construction,” Anderson said.
The debate over Buc-ee’s has stretched for more than a year, sparking controversy and upheaval in the Tri-Lakes area.
Opposition to the development contributed to the resignation of Palmer Lake’s former mayor and sparked lawsuits, petitions, letters, a recall election and complaints to the Colorado attorney general, drawing attention from local residents, officials, community organizations and one of the nation’s wealthiest landowners.
In September, Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper even sent a letter to Arch ‘Beaver’ Aplin III, CEO of Buc-ee’s, urging him to reconsider the proposed Palmer Lake location.
The Buc-ee’s beaver statue stands outside the Buc-ee’s store Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Johnstown, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
On March 3, the Monument Town Council and Mayor Mitch LaKind submitted a letter to the El Paso County Planning and Community Development Department formally objecting to the administrative approval of the BLA.
“This project involves a complex history of land manipulation that should require a public hearing and a higher level of scrutiny than an administrative review allows,” the letter stated.
“As the elected representatives of the neighboring jurisdiction, we believe this project, as currently proposed, circumvents the spirit of the El Paso County Land Development Code and ignores the significant regional impacts on our community.”
The council’s objection is based on potential impairment of water rights and well permits, inconsistency in “Legal Lot” status, improper project segmentation and topographical change and technical discrepancies in public safety data.
Representatives from Interstate 25 Properties and Vertex Consulting Services did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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