The Texas-born chain submitted a site development plan to El Paso County on October 12, advancing plans for a location near Interstate 25 and County Line Road, according to the county’s website.
County staff will review the proposal for compliance with technical requirements, including lighting, landscaping, parking, traffic and roadway improvements. If the plan meets all applicable requirements, it will be approved administratively without returning to county commissioners for approval.
The filing follows an August 27 decision in which commissioners determined that the proposed Buc-ee’s qualifies as an allowed use under the property’s zoning designation. The ruling resolved a key land-use dispute but did not approve construction or operation of the travel center.
The proposed development would include a roughly 74,000-square-foot store, 120 fuel pumps and nearly 790 parking spaces, according to previous reporting by MySA.
The project encountered a hurdle in July when county planning officials said they could not determine whether the proposed travel center qualified as a convenience store under local zoning rules. Buc-ee’s appealed the determination, and commissioners ultimately ruled in the company’s favor.
The Colorado proposal has also faced community opposition, a separate lawsuit challenging the commissioners’ decision and an ongoing dispute over water usage. Buc-ee’s previously withdrew a proposal to annex the property into nearby Palmer Lake in February after facing local opposition, NBC News reported.
The latest filing advances the proposed location through another stage of the approval process, though a construction timeline and opening date have not been announced.
Known for its oversized convenience stores, extensive fuel pumps, barbecue and beaver-themed merchandise, Buc-ee’s has expanded from its Texas roots into multiple states as it grows its national travel center network.