Officials in El Paso County, Colorado, have rejected an initial request to classify a proposed Buc-ee’s as a “convenience store,” creating the latest obstacle for a project that has already faced more than a year of local opposition.
The decision comes just months after an entity tied to Buc-ee’s purchased roughly 32 acres near Interstate 25 and Exit 163, about 20 miles north of Colorado Springs, for $10 million. The site had previously been targeted for a Buc-ee’s before the original proposal stalled amid community pushback.
While the property is zoned for commercial use that allows convenience stores, county officials said it does not permit a gas station or truck stop.
The proposed Buc-ee’s would include a roughly 74,000-square-foot store, 120 fuel pumps and nearly 790 parking spaces, a scale county planners described as “mixed and uncommon” for developments in unincorporated El Paso County.
After reviewing previous approvals for convenience stores and fuel stations, planning staff concluded they could not determine whether the project qualifies as an allowed use under the site’s C-1 zoning designation.
“Based on the definitions, historical approvals, and comparative analysis, staff finds it difficult to classify the proposed use,” the county wrote in its determination letter.
The ruling does not end the project. Buc-ee’s has 30 days from the July 1 determination to appeal the decision.
If ultimately approved, the Colorado location would join Buc-ee’s growing national footprint, as the Texas-based chain continues expanding well beyond its home state with new travel centers planned or under construction across several states.
Buc-ee’s had no comment on the matter.