El Paso Board of County Commissioners will hear Buc-ee’s appeal Thursday, Aug. 27, over whether the Texas-based chain’s proposed 74,000-square-foot travel center and gas station near Palmer Lake qualifies as an allowed use under the county’s zoning code.
The board will decide whether the proposed Buc-ee’s qualifies as a “convenience store” allowed in the C-1 zoning district under the Land Development Code.
The hearing does not approve or deny construction of a Buc-ee’s, the county said Monday afternoon on its Buc-ee’s project webpage. It only resolves the land-use classification question. Any future development would still require additional county reviews and approvals, as applicable.
The Board of County Commissioners’ land-use meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m., according to the county’s website.
The appeal follows a July decision by Meggan Herington, the county’s executive director of planning and community development, who said it was “difficult to classify the proposed use” of the Buc-ee’s development.
“El Paso County is committed to providing a public hearing process that is transparent, respectful, and fair. Public input is part of the Board of County Commissioners’ hearing process, and residents may participate by submitting written comments, attending the hearing, or speaking during the public comment portion of the hearing,” county officials said on the project website.
The proposal has divided residents across the Tri-Lakes area for nearly two years over water usage, open space and traffic. A ruling in Buc-ee’s favor could move the project one step closer to development as the company’s second Colorado travel center.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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