PALMER LAKE, Colo. — The future of Buc-ee's in El Paso County is uncertain.
The Town of Palmer Lake Planning Commission voted Wednesday night against moving the project forward.
Denver7 anchor Shannon Ogden spoke with Commissioner Bill Fisher, who cautioned that the Buc-ee's in Palmer Lake "isn't dead yet." The Town Board of Trustees will accept or reject the commission's recommendation at its Oct. 2 meeting.
However, the Board of Trustees' vote may be a moot point depending on the outcome of a Sept. 9 special election. Voters will decide on a ballot measure that, if approved, will require all future annexations to be decided by voter approval.
Denver7 has been following the proposed Buc-ee's development in Palmer Lake. Read our previous coverage below
- Buc-ee's, a road trip staple, could be coming to southern Colorado
- Colo. gas station owner fears proposed Buc-ee's location would threaten small business: 'Economic cannibalism'
- 'This can't be real. It's ridiculous': Palmer Lake residents express concerns over proposed Buc-ee's site
- Nonprofits file lawsuit against Town of Palmer Lake over controversial Buc-ee's plan
- Buc-ee's withdraws annexation request in Palmer Lake with plans to resubmit
- Town of Palmer Lake releases negotiated terms of proposed annexation agreement with Buc-ee's
The beloved Texas mega-gas station and convenience store wants to build a 74,000-square-foot location at Interstate 25 and County Line Road. It would be the second Buc-ee's in Colorado, with the first opening last year off I-25 in Johnstown.
The proposed Palmer Lake location has received pushback from the start. More than 1,200 people signed a petition against it within two days of the plans being announced.
In January, several nonprofits filed a lawsuit against the Town of Palmer Lake, its mayor, and other city officials, alleging a multitude of violations, including improper land annexation agreements, restriction of free speech, and violation of open meeting laws for matters surrounding the development of Buc-ee's.
Earlier this year, the mayor of Johnstown told Denver7 that the Buc-ee's in his town sees an average of 820 visits per hour and about 80,000 visitors each month.
