Legal proceedings are underway in a battle to build a new Buc-ee’s convenience store location in Palmer Lake, Colorado, about 24 miles to the northwest of Colorado Springs.
The Lake Jackson, Texas-based convenience store and gas station chain, which currently has more than 50 locations primarily in the West and South, wants to build a 74,000-square-foot outlet off of Interstate 25 that would be open around the clock and feature 60 gas pumps as well as parking for upwards of 800 vehicles.
The Palmer Lake project is just the latest example of the company’s vigorous expansion efforts, which in recent years have seen it building new locations throughout the South, and planning for new stores in Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma, among other states.
Members of the Board of Trustees of Palmer Lake have given their approval to an annexation request allowing the project to move forward. That vote, however, has led to the filing of a lawsuit on the part of project’s opponents charging that the Board of Trustees members have violated the state’s open meetings law.
Recall efforts are additionally underway against several of the Board of Trustees members who voted in favor of the request. Adding to the fireworks: Glant Havenar, the mayor of Palmer Lake, last month resigned her office due to the controversy.
At issue is the size of the Buc-ee’s project in a rustic town of around 2,700 residents. Opponents say it will attract tens of thousands of vehicles daily, and create light pollution, while also requiring the use of around 37,000 gallons of water per day.
The oppositional effort is aided by John Malone, former chief executive officer of Tele-Communications Incorporated, and owner of the nearby Greenland Ranch. According to published reports, Malone is the second largest private landowner in the U.S.
A final decision on the new Buc-ee’s Palmer Lake location remains to be made as the project is still in the review process.
Buc-ee’s locations generally range in size from 52,000 to more than 80,000 square feet and include gift shops and a variety of restaurant offerings.
July 17, 2025
By Garry Boulard
