Buc-ee’s Travel Center opened in Johnstown, Colorado on March 18, 2024. It marked Buc-ee’s debut in Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s — a Texas-based convenience store and gas station chain known for its barbecue, store-brand snacks and happy beaver logo — was greeted in March with fanfare and long lines in Johnstown on Interstate 25 about 50 miles north of Denver.
A proposal to build the state’s second Buc-ee’s along I-25 near Palmer Lake, south of Denver in El Paso County, has prompted a different reaction. The request for the town to annex about 36 acres at the highway’s interchange with County Line Road has sparked a lawsuit by Integrity Matters, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Colorado Springs, a call for the attorney general to get involved and an organized media blitz opposing the move by a group of residents in the town and neighboring communities.
The residents opposed to the Buc-ee’s worry about how it would impact the surrounding area, from traffic congestion to straining the town’s infrastructure. Critics The Post have spoken to also say the town hasn’t been transparent throughout the process.
The town, on the other hand, has publicly pushed back and said it has followed proper procedure.
At a meeting on Dec. 12, the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees voted 4-1 to approve Buc-ee’s eligibility to annex land for its proposed location in El Paso County. While the decision doesn’t confirm the development, it paves the way for Buc-ee’s to apply for annexation.
“To me, it seems like it only makes sense to move forward in order to gain all of the information that is needed to make an accurate, educated decision about the annexation,” said Palmer Lake Board trustee Shana Ball at that meeting.
“We can’t get any further information without approving this first step.”
Mayor Glant Havenar and Trustee Jessica Farr were not present in last month’s meeting.
The outcry leading up to that meeting had grown so loud that police were checking IDs and allowing only Palmer Lake residents inside of town hall.
Part of a news release the town put out the day of the meeting said, “While the Board is open to comments from any member of the public related to this issue, since it is a proposed annexation to the Town of Palmer Lake, the Board is particularly interested in and wants to be able to readily distinguish comments by Palmer Lake electors, Palmer Lake businesses, and Palmer Lake property owners.”
Trina Shook, a Monument area resident since 2003 and a business owner in Palmer Lake, opposes building the Buc-ee’s in the proposed location.
She went to the Dec. 12 town hall meeting and was asked for her ID, and ended up among the group of people not allowed inside.
“There were probably a good 50 of us that were standing outside,” she said. “When they weren’t allowed to go in, several people, especially the elderly people, walked away. They weren’t happy.”
Shook said she stood outside in the cold with others for over an hour, listening to the meeting on a speaker, before she was allowed inside.
“When I went inside, there were empty seats. There was plenty of standing room,” she said.
The way the meeting was conducted left some residents feeling that the board’s decision to move forward with the annexation was rushed, leading to a complaint being filed with the office of Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
The Post reached out to the attorney general’s office and a spokesperson stated, “This is a local government matter and I recommend that you contact local officials.”
In conversations with several residents, social media posts and documents reviewed by The Post, the list of concerns about the annexation include the potential environmental and wildlife impact, traffic congestion along road such as Beacon Lite Road and Monument Hill, Buc-ee’s water usage, inadequate infrastructure, the loss of a small mountain town feel, strain on first-responder resources, child safety and growing tensions with neighboring towns.
“A lot of people actually that are against this love Buc-ee’s,” Palmer Lake resident Dailee Fagnant said. “I talked to a lot of people and they’re like, ‘We would love to see a Buc-ee’s closer to our house, but this is just the wrong area.’ ”
On the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 10, the mayor and board of trustees released a statement addressing the pushback. “The Board’s fundamental interest was to conduct a safe, open, and non-intimidating hearing, in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations.”
The statement further read “a number of comments have been received by the town after the December 12th eligibility hearing and those have been shared with the applicant, including a reference to a complaint possibly being filed with the Colorado attorney general. The town has not received a copy of any such complaint, but the board of trustees met with the town attorney in executive session on Jan. 9 to follow up on these issues and to ensure continued compliance with the applicable laws and rules.”
Integrity Matters issued a news release pushing back at the mayor’s and board’s response, stating it was “a valiant attempt to paint over procedural flaws with broad assurances, however it fails to address the detailed legal concerns outlined in our Dec. 30, 2024, letter.”
As a result, the nonprofit filed its lawsuit in the 4th Judicial District Court of El Paso County to challenge the board’s decision to approve annexation eligibility.
“This lawsuit seeks to ensure government accountability compliance with the rule of law to protect the rights of local residents and property owners,” said Chief Legal Counsel for Integrity Matters Katherine Gayle in the news release.
“The actions taken by the Town of Palmer Lake in this annexation eligibility process were arbitrary, lacked transparency, and ignored critical statutory and constitutional safeguards.”
The lawsuit is supported by Westside Watch, TriLakes Preservation Inc. and several local residents and business owners.
The next Town of Palmer Lake’s Board of Trustees Meeting will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 23.
Representatives from Buc-ee’s could not be reached for comment.
This story was originally published by The Denver Post, a BusinessDen news partner.
Buc-ee’s Travel Center opened in Johnstown, Colorado on March 18, 2024. It marked Buc-ee’s debut in Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s — a Texas-based convenience store and gas station chain known for its barbecue, store-brand snacks and happy beaver logo — was greeted in March with fanfare and long lines in Johnstown on Interstate 25 about 50 miles north of Denver.
A proposal to build the state’s second Buc-ee’s along I-25 near Palmer Lake, south of Denver in El Paso County, has prompted a different reaction. The request for the town to annex about 36 acres at the highway’s interchange with County Line Road has sparked a lawsuit by Integrity Matters, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Colorado Springs, a call for the attorney general to get involved and an organized media blitz opposing the move by a group of residents in the town and neighboring communities.
The residents opposed to the Buc-ee’s worry about how it would impact the surrounding area, from traffic congestion to straining the town’s infrastructure. Critics The Post have spoken to also say the town hasn’t been transparent throughout the process.
The town, on the other hand, has publicly pushed back and said it has followed proper procedure.
At a meeting on Dec. 12, the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees voted 4-1 to approve Buc-ee’s eligibility to annex land for its proposed location in El Paso County. While the decision doesn’t confirm the development, it paves the way for Buc-ee’s to apply for annexation.
“To me, it seems like it only makes sense to move forward in order to gain all of the information that is needed to make an accurate, educated decision about the annexation,” said Palmer Lake Board trustee Shana Ball at that meeting.
“We can’t get any further information without approving this first step.”
Mayor Glant Havenar and Trustee Jessica Farr were not present in last month’s meeting.
The outcry leading up to that meeting had grown so loud that police were checking IDs and allowing only Palmer Lake residents inside of town hall.
Part of a news release the town put out the day of the meeting said, “While the Board is open to comments from any member of the public related to this issue, since it is a proposed annexation to the Town of Palmer Lake, the Board is particularly interested in and wants to be able to readily distinguish comments by Palmer Lake electors, Palmer Lake businesses, and Palmer Lake property owners.”
Trina Shook, a Monument area resident since 2003 and a business owner in Palmer Lake, opposes building the Buc-ee’s in the proposed location.
She went to the Dec. 12 town hall meeting and was asked for her ID, and ended up among the group of people not allowed inside.
“There were probably a good 50 of us that were standing outside,” she said. “When they weren’t allowed to go in, several people, especially the elderly people, walked away. They weren’t happy.”
Shook said she stood outside in the cold with others for over an hour, listening to the meeting on a speaker, before she was allowed inside.
“When I went inside, there were empty seats. There was plenty of standing room,” she said.
The way the meeting was conducted left some residents feeling that the board’s decision to move forward with the annexation was rushed, leading to a complaint being filed with the office of Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
The Post reached out to the attorney general’s office and a spokesperson stated, “This is a local government matter and I recommend that you contact local officials.”
In conversations with several residents, social media posts and documents reviewed by The Post, the list of concerns about the annexation include the potential environmental and wildlife impact, traffic congestion along road such as Beacon Lite Road and Monument Hill, Buc-ee’s water usage, inadequate infrastructure, the loss of a small mountain town feel, strain on first-responder resources, child safety and growing tensions with neighboring towns.
“A lot of people actually that are against this love Buc-ee’s,” Palmer Lake resident Dailee Fagnant said. “I talked to a lot of people and they’re like, ‘We would love to see a Buc-ee’s closer to our house, but this is just the wrong area.’ ”
On the afternoon of Friday, Jan. 10, the mayor and board of trustees released a statement addressing the pushback. “The Board’s fundamental interest was to conduct a safe, open, and non-intimidating hearing, in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations.”
The statement further read “a number of comments have been received by the town after the December 12th eligibility hearing and those have been shared with the applicant, including a reference to a complaint possibly being filed with the Colorado attorney general. The town has not received a copy of any such complaint, but the board of trustees met with the town attorney in executive session on Jan. 9 to follow up on these issues and to ensure continued compliance with the applicable laws and rules.”
Integrity Matters issued a news release pushing back at the mayor’s and board’s response, stating it was “a valiant attempt to paint over procedural flaws with broad assurances, however it fails to address the detailed legal concerns outlined in our Dec. 30, 2024, letter.”
As a result, the nonprofit filed its lawsuit in the 4th Judicial District Court of El Paso County to challenge the board’s decision to approve annexation eligibility.
“This lawsuit seeks to ensure government accountability compliance with the rule of law to protect the rights of local residents and property owners,” said Chief Legal Counsel for Integrity Matters Katherine Gayle in the news release.
“The actions taken by the Town of Palmer Lake in this annexation eligibility process were arbitrary, lacked transparency, and ignored critical statutory and constitutional safeguards.”
The lawsuit is supported by Westside Watch, TriLakes Preservation Inc. and several local residents and business owners.
The next Town of Palmer Lake’s Board of Trustees Meeting will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 23.
Representatives from Buc-ee’s could not be reached for comment.
This story was originally published by The Denver Post, a BusinessDen news partner.
