For now, plans to build a second Buc-ee’s in Colorado are on hold after an application to annex the land to the town of Palmer Lake was withdrawn. But a new application is expected.
The proposal to locate one of Buc-ee’s mega convenience stores and gas stations near the El Paso County community has spawned opposition from area residents. A local group, Integrity Matters, has sued to stop the annexation.
A March 5 letter to the town said a request to annex the 36-acre site at Interstate 25 and County Line Road was being withdrawn. Maria Larsen, manager of Monument Ridge West, said a modified application would be submitted “in the near future.”
A message was left with Buc-ee’s for comment on the application’s withdrawal.
The first Buc-ee’s built in Colorado by the Texas-based company drew large crowds when it opened in Johnstown in March 2024. Hundreds of people were lined up outside for the 6 a.m. grand opening. Some of the eager fans of the business known for its red-capped beaver mascot, barbecue and rows and rows of treats and merchandise drove from surrounding states for the occasion in northern Colorado.
However, the welcome for a Buc-ee’s south of Denver has been different. Hundreds of people attended a December meeting of the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees about the proposed annexation for the project. Objections to the development ranged from impacts on area traffic to the loss of the area’s rural character to noise.
The board approved the first step toward annexation when it determined the application met the legal requirements. Next steps would include a traffic study, a fiscal analysis and consideration of the development’s potential impacts on services, water and other details.
There are about 50 Buc-ee’s stores, with most of those in Texas. The one in Johnstown is 74,000 square feet and has 116 gas pumps. The company doesn’t allow semitrailers on site except to make deliveries.
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