Dental Implants Near Palmer Lake, CO

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Buc-ee;s could open another location in Colorado in the Palmer Lake area. This comes after Buc-ee’s has now officially requested to be annexed into the Town of Palmer Lake.

Thursday night, Palmer Lake Board of Trustees held an annexation meeting where they chose to allow Buc-ee’s to move forward with plans in a 4-1 vote.

11 News talked to a Amy Dinan, who lives less than a mile away from where this new location could be and she tells us she does not want them to go through with it saying, “I am very, very hopeful that it will not actually happen.”

Dinan continues saying, “I think Buc-ee’s coming to that area of monument would be a nightmare. Most people who live in this area know that Palmer Divide has its own weather system, and with all of the crazy traffic and the accidents that happen already on Monument Hill, adding Buc-ee’s traffic in the mix and people trying to get off and go to Buc-ee’s would just be not a great idea.

“Hopefully they can find a better spot other than the top of Monument Hill because we like the land we like the animals we like to keep it as it is.”

11 News also spoke with Jenni Helland who says, “I’m one of the community members who is against Buc-ee’s coming.”

Helland continues saying, “I think it belongs on the south end of town and I understand it’s going to bring in potentially a lot of tax revenue but I just don’t feel that it fits with the purpose or the plan of why a lot of people live in Monument and northern El Paso County.

“I also believe that El Paso County, Palmer Lake and Monument have done a very poor job of planning and the infrastructure just is not here to support it and putting it on Monument Hill is a disaster and I don’t know why anybody would think that’s a good business decision as a business owner myself and it’s not where I would put a business and I think they should rethink their plan.

“Put it down south of the Springs. Southside of Springs would be a much better area. I think that you are going to capture a lot more business down there.”

However, Greg Arceneaux who lives in Colorado Springs is all for Buc-ee’s coming to El Paso County saying, “I absolutely love Buc-ee’s.”

Arceneaux continues saying, “I think it’s going to be awesome. They have like the best selection of food and stuff.

“And it should bring some jobs to the community. It also should be good for traffic and there’ll be more places for people to stop and get stuff because sometimes when you’re traveling like to Denver and stuff there’s not really a good place to stop outside the truck stops.”

11 News reached out to Buc-ee’s but they say they have no comment at this time.

Copyright 2024 KKTV. All rights reserved.

Posted

PALMER LAKE — Some people who live in Palmer Lake and near Monument Hill say they are not happy with the answers they got from Buc-ee's developers.

Tuesday's public information meeting sparked heated exchanges between the site developers and community members.

"They are already congested during school hours," said Alexandra Olivier, who lives in Palmer Lake. "During main traffic events, snowstorms I have spent two hours trying to drive three miles up a half mile up from the county line."

During Tuesday's public information meeting, she vented.

"This is not what the community needs," said Olivier. "This is not what the community is about."

During the meeting, Buc-ee's developers shared information about what additional applications may be required prior to breaking ground.

"The first (thing) we need to do is annexation," said a Buc-ee's developer.

The communities concerns are traffic, a lack of water sources and impacts on local businesses.

"It's frustrating for those of us in the community who experience (this) every day," said Candice Pollack, who attended the public information meeting.

"(I) feel like developers had no answers other than they saw this location as the best spot for their profits only," said Olivier.

The town of Palmer Lake is holding a meeting on December 12 to consider whether it will annex the county line.

___

Some residents living near the proposed site of a new Buc-ee's convenience store along I-25 and County Line Road are opposing the company's plans.

News Tips

What should KOAA5 cover? Is there a story, topic, or issue we should revisit? Have a story you believe should make the light of day? Let our newsroom know with the contact form below.

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone number

Subject

Body

Security Check

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Report a typo

A public meeting hosted to discuss a proposed Buc-ee's location along Interstate 25 packed the Palmer Lake Elementary School cafeteria Tuesday night, frequently turning hostile and argumentative between company representatives and community members.

"We don't desire your beaver nuggets," said audience member Alexandra Olivier, who joined an overwhelmingly negative wave of comments at the informational meeting.

Residents raised a myriad of concerns over the travel center, which has been proposed on a piece of current El Paso County land west of I-25 and directly south of County Line Road. Developers have submitted an annexation plan to the county that would bring the site into the town of Palmer Lake under a "flagpole" annexation, connecting the roughly 30-acre property by a thin line to the rest of the town.

If approved, the 74,000-square-foot facility would be the second Colorado location for the Texas-based company, which is known for super-sized travel stops marketed to have clean restrooms and cult-following food and merchandise.

Business

A preliminary approval for the annexation request to determine its eligibility is going to the town of Palmer Lake on Dec. 12. The Tuesday meeting was hosted by Buc-ee's company representatives and consultants.

Many of the most vocal speakers against the proposal at the meeting were residents along County Line Road and in the Woodmoor community north of Monument, those who would be living closest to the proposed travel center. Some raised concerns about light pollution, crime and traffic if the travel center were built.

"How do you expect us to get the values out of our homes that we've lived in for 35 years?" said County Line Road resident Kathy Brown.

Others were concerned about the impacts of including a large-scale travel center into Palmer Lake town limits when it came to managing natural resources and safeguarding the town's economy and character. Palmer Lake currently has a population of less than 3,000 and has in the past rejected chain stores in town limits.

According to an annexation impact report submitted by developers, the property proposed for a Buc-ee's is zoned commercial and is identified as a possible "retail node" in a master plan for the area.

Many also questioned developers on the choice of location on Monument Hill, a place residents say is prone to accidents in inclement winter weather due to heavy snow and ice.

Mark Waller, a consultant for Buc-ee's and former El Paso County Commissioner, said that the company had considered weather concerns on the roadway.

"Rarely is it the circumstance that the highway shuts down," he said.

More information about the proposal can be found at bucceespalmerlake.com.

Palmer Lake trustees will next discuss the annexation at their regular meeting at 5 p.m. Dec. 12.

PALMER LAKE, Colo. — A second Buc-ee's location is in the works in Colorado.

The Texas-based travel store and gas station chain is in the early stages of acquiring the land for a location in El Paso County, between Denver and Colorado Springs.

Palmer Lake Mayor Glant Havenar said last month that Buc-ee's had inquired about annexing land for a potential store at Interstate 25 and County Line Road, between Larkspur and Monument.

Members of Buc-ee's development team held a public comment meeting at Palmer Lake Elementary School on Tuesday night. More than 300 residents attended the meeting, many opposed to the idea of Buc-ee's building in the town.

At Tuesday's meeting, Buc-ee's representatives said the property has been zoned as a commercial property since 1955, and that there had been an intended plan for that space to be used for something like a rest stop. The latter statement was met by jeers and boos from the audience, according to KRDO.

In their presentation, Buc-ee's developers showcased the different foods and services that Buc-ees provides, as well as the job opportunities with positions that start at $20 dollars per hour.

Palmer Lake residents voiced concerns over traffic impacts, weather along the interstate, light pollution, property values, and impacts from wildlife migration in the area.

According to KRDO, Buc-ee's developers said they would follow all regulations required by the Colorado Department of Transportation to accommodate the traffic changes that would be necessary at an intersection for entry and exit, including making improvements to a bridge that goes over I-25, which some people expressed wouldn't be able to handle the amount of drivers. A Buc-ee's representative said that they would pay for a new bridge over the interstate and have built new bridges at other locations as well.

Other residents at Tuesday's meeting asked about winter weather impacts, within what is a unique meteorology corridor around Monument Hill, including accidents like in last week's storm. A developer said that at other Buc-ees locations where adverse weather is present, they haven't seen major traffic disruptions.

The property will have to be annexed before Buc-ee's will move ahead with the project.

Havenar said per state statute, an annexation hearing is afforded to anyone who asks for one. Palmer Lake Board of Trustees will hold the eligibility hearing on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Havenar said the hearing is not to annex the land, but is to determine if the owner is eligible to move forward in the process. Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more, ask questions and make comments.

Credit: KRDO

"If the owner is determined at the eligibility hearing on December 12 to be eligible for annexation, they would likely hold a series of community meetings where residents are urged to ask questions and learn more about the development," Havenar said last month. "This process could be followed by an eventual annexation hearing, which is also open for public input."

"At this stage, we cannot comment on the project, whether we believe it meets eligibility, or share any thoughts or opinions on its viability and merits. Commenting or issuing opinions would break our oath to quasi-judicial standing and neutrality, and we would be barred from voting on the development in any form."

"I want to learn as much as possible about the development and be able to vote on it, so I will only share this: I will gather the facts and information and hear from local residents to determine the best course of action when I am called upon to vote," Havenar said. "Until that day, I do not have enough information and am thus prohibited from breaking my oath."

Credit: Buc-ee's

Buc-ee's opened its first Colorado location, at Interstate 25 and County Road 48 in Johnstown, north of the Denver metro area, in March. The 74,000-square-foot travel center has 116 fueling positions and 12 EV charging stations.

The Colorado location signaled the first move outside of the South for Buc-ee's. Between Alabama, Florida and Georgia, Buc-ee's has more than 50 locations, with more than 40 in Texas alone.

Since beginning its expansion in 2019, Buc-ee’s has opened travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Missouri.

Known for its award-winning clean bathrooms, all Buc-ee's operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The stores serve Buc-ee’s favorites including Beaver nuggets, Texas barbeque, fudge, kolaches, jerky and pastries.

Have thoughts about the possibility of a Buc-ee's near Monument and Palmer Lake? Developers have invited the community to attend a public forum this week to share information about the proposed super-sized travel center.

The meeting will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Palmer Lake Elementary School at 115 Upper Glenway Road .

If approved, the Buc-ee's will be just the second built in Colorado after a Johnston location opened north of Denver last year. The new location, north of downtown Monument along I-25, would be a similar size at about 74,000 square feet.

Since the proposal's announcement, the plan has received mixed responses, with pushback from some who feel the travel center would be harmful to local residents.

Business

Known for its food, shopping and self-proclaimed "world's cleanest bathrooms," Buc-ee's originated in Texas. Stan Beard, the chain’s real estate and development director, previously told The Gazette that the new proposed location would provide high visibility for hundreds of thousands of travelers along I-25 south of Denver each year.

The chain typically builds in small communities outside of major population centers, he said.

The newest Buc-ee's plan will hinge on the approval of El Paso County, which is the current jurisdiction of the land site, and Palmer Lake, which would need to annex the land and provide services.

According to plans submitted to the county in November, the travel center would be built on a piece of land at the southwest corner of I-25 and County Line Road and east of Beacon Lite Road. The land would be a "flagpole" annexation if accepted into Palmer Lake, since the property does not border town limits. The town would need to annex a thin sliver of land connecting the property to the rest of Palmer Lake — hence "flagpole."

Receive a weekly roundup of business news around El Paso County.

View all of our newsletters.

The town of Palmer Lake will be considering the annexation at a Dec. 12 meeting. Palmer Lake Mayor Glant Havenar said in a Facebook post on Nov. 3 that the meeting was not to accept the annexation, but to determine whether the request was eligible to move forward in the process.

Havenar said that she and other town officials were staying neutral on the issue at this point and said she wanted to "learn as much as possible" about the project.

"At this stage, we cannot comment on the project, whether we believe it meets eligibility, or share any thoughts or opinions on its viability and merits," she said.

The travel center with a cult customer following has seen some criticism on social media since the announcement of the plan for a second Colorado location. One online petition to stop the annexation has surpassed 1,800 signatures.

The petition, whose author could not be reached for comment, cites proximity to the nearby Woodmoor neighborhood as an objection to Buc-ee's, claiming it would bring traffic, crime and harm to local businesses.

Other commenters have raised concerns that the location's elevation on Monument Hill would be prone to heavy snow and ice in the winter.

Though a full project plan has not yet been submitted to Palmer Lake, preliminary documents outline a major upgrade in Palmer Lake's water capacity. The annexation impact report submitted to the county for the project in November estimates a "sizable" extension of Palmer Lake's water system of about 860,000 gallons per month, to be constructed and paid for by the developers.

The impact report also anticipates upgrades to surrounding roadways. The property, already zoned for commercial use, is identified as a possible "retail node" in Palmer Lake Community Master Plan.