Buc-ee’s submits site development plan to El Paso County

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A potential Buc-ee's in El Paso County is taking more steps forward after the county says it has submitted a site development plan for review.

According to the county, the plan will now be reviewed by county staff. They say the plan is an administrative review and approval process. They will look to see whether the plan fits into guidelines and requirements for things like lighting, landscaping, parking and traffic.

The county's website says if the site development plan meets technical design requirements, it will be approved administratively.

They say if it is approved, the site plan does not go back to the Board of County Commissioners for approval, and there can be no appeal of the approval to the board.

Kat Gayle, Chief Legal Council for Integrity Matters, did not mince words when talking about Buc-ee's.

"You would think that Buc-ee's, instead of becoming this backdoor backroom bully, would say, you know, we're not wanted here," Gayle said.

Despite community pushback, Buc-ee's is set to press on.

"I think that that's going to continue as it has, but we're going to keep doing what we're supposed to do, which is continue working ourselves through the process like any other applicant would," said Mark Waller, a consultant for Buc-ee's.

The planned site near County Line Road and Interstate 25 has been in the works for some time. Recently, Buc-ee's won an appeal that would allow it to qualify as an allowed use under the county's Land Development Code.

The plot of land bought by Buc-ee's in April is zoned as a C-1 district. Some of the current approved uses for buildings in C-1 zoning districts are:

• Amusement center
• Bar
• Barber/beauty shop
• Billiard parlor
• Car wash
• Child care center
• Convenience store
• Emergency facility

Opponents of the development tried to argue that Buc-ee's did not qualify as a convenience store under the code. The Board of County Commissioners disagreed at its appeal hearing. When that appeal hearing happened, the board said the next steps were for Buc-ee's to submit a site development plan, which it has now done.

Gayle says the county shouldn't consider approving the project until the dispute over water usage is resolved. A hearing on that is set for December.

There's also a separate lawsuit filed against Buc-ee's and the county over August's land-use decision. Opponents want a county judge to evaluate whether the board of county commissioners overstepped their authority in that ruling. 

Gayle says the will of the residents is being ignored.

"It's Buc'ees just saying we're not going to let a bunch of local yokels from Colorado beat us," she said. "We're Buc'ees, and we're going to do what we want."

Waller says this is a significant step in the process, despite the fact the timeline for completion of the Buc'ees remains unknown.

"We're certainly excited to be working with the county, to make sure we're doing this correctly so we can move on and get this built and have an asset for our community," he said.

Buc-ee’s originally tried to annex the property into the town of Palmer Lake and emphasized the potential for nearly $1 million in sales tax revenue. The community of Palmer Lake pushed back heavily on the decision, citing an erasure of their small-town identity. Buc-ee's withdrew its annexation in February.

In recent reporting, a consultant for Buc-ee's confirmed they are still planning to build on the land if the project is approved by the county. The town of Monument recently spoke out about the issue, asking the county to deny the appeal.

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