Recall election nears amid growing opposition to Buc-ee’s in Palmer Lake

What began as a seemingly routine proposal to annex land for a Buc-ee’s travel center at the southwest corner of Interstate 25 and County Line Road in El Paso County has transformed over the past several months into a divisive fight over land use, transparency and the future of the Town of Palmer Lake.

The proposal pushback has even led to the former mayor’s resignation, lawsuits and drawn significant attention from Tri-Lakes residents, community organizations, a U.S. senator and one of the country’s wealthiest landowners. They are all concerned about conservation efforts, traffic, infrastructure challenges and the town’s water supply.

Now, a recall election targeting two trustees is scheduled to take place in less than two weeks.

The upcoming election follows a special meeting in May where the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees voted 6-1 to approve the site’s eligibility for annexation. This decision advanced the proposal for the state’s second Buc-ee’s, but it also further stirred tension.

“There’s a lot of talk out there that I’m being paid and all kinds of stuff. None of that stuff is happening whatsoever to me,” said Palmer Lake Board Trustee Shana Ball, who voted yes in the May meeting.

She said she voted yes, not because she is in favor of Buc-ee’s, but because the annexation application met state statute requirements.

Ball, alongside trustee Kevin Dreher, is being targeted for recall in an election scheduled for Sept. 9..

She said she was “shocked” when she found out she was named in the recall effort.

“I’ve learned to have thick skin. … I know a lot of people were lied to to get their signatures on there, and you know, that’s fine. Eventually, the truth will come out. It always does,” she said.

The Sept. 9 ballot also includes a measure that would require all future annexation proposals be put to a public vote.

Ball said the board has dedicated hours doing research, reaching out to towns that already have a Buc-ee’s to ask about the pros and cons. To her surprise, she said every town reported positive experiences

“There’s a lot of citizens here who have real questions, and they have been reaching out and asking them privately because they don’t want to be dragged through the mud on social media,” she said.

In late July, the town of Palmer Lake reached an agreement with Buc-ee’s on the details of their fiscal relationship, if the Texas-based chain is allowed to build the travel center.

The terms of the annexation agreement were to be voted on by the town board on Thursday evening, but the trustees moved the item to a vote on Oct. 2, as the planning commission continues to review zoning.

Buc-ee’s wants to develop nearly 25 acres, including a 74,000-square-foot retail convenience store, 120 fuel pumps, 12 electric vehicle charging stations and 780 parking spaces, according to a May fiscal impact analysis report prepared by Economic & Planning Systems Inc.

EPS estimates the proposed Palmer Lake travel center would generate $955,087 in sales tax revenues for the town in 2027.

The report also said Buc-ee’s would create a need for the town to expand services in departments such as police, fire, roads and water.

The town has rights to use more water than it can access, according to the agreement. The town’s current production capacity is 593,200 gallons per day. On the busiest days, the Town uses about 424,900 gallons.

Buc-ee’s is expected to use up to 113,600 gallons per day at peak demand, which would leave about 479,600 gallons per day available for other users. On average, Buc-ee’s is expected to use about 37,500 gallons of water per day.

The agreement outlined that Buc-ee’s will pay all costs associated with improving water and other infrastructure associated with the travel center.

Buc-ee’s travel centers are massive, featuring Texas BBQ and tourist memorabilia and is known for its large and clean restrooms.

Colorado’s first Buc-ee’s debuted in Johnstown, northern Colorado, in March 2024, featuring a 74,000-square-foot retail store, 116 fuel pumps, and 12 EV charging stations.

The grand opening drew hundreds of people, many of whom waited outside for hours. The crowd included first-timers along with fans of the red-capped beaver.

A year later, the store has about brought in more than 200 full-time employees and has generated $1 million in annual revenue, though residents have raised concerns about increased traffic.

“If I was the mayor in Palmer Lake, I would say this is such a divisive issue in this community, and for all of our neighbors, it’s obviously the wrong direction. I would take it off the table immediately,” said Palmer Lake resident David Parks, who has been vocal on social media and writing letters about the controversial topic.

“It’s never too late to say, ‘stop.’ It’s never too late to say ‘enough.’ It’s never too late to draw a line in the sand.”

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet this week also voiced his opposition to the annexation.

“This so-called ‘flagpole annexation’ goes beyond a local land-use issue. It would scar land that Colorado families have fought to protect for decades, drain our precious water resources, and flood a treasured landscape with noise, traffic, and light,” he said.

“That’s why I cannot support the proposal to annex land across from Greenland Ranch for a massive Buc-ee’s development and why I applaud the local citizens there who have organized to oppose it.”

Greenland Ranch makes up a significant portion of the “big green open space” that drivers traveling along I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs see.

Bennet said he has heard from numerous constituents in the Tri-Lakes area over the past six weeks concerning the annexation and its potential impact. He has even visited the site himself.

Joining Bennet and residents in opposition to the proposed gas station is billionaire John Malone, who acquired 17,000 acres of the land east of I-25 in 2000, while the county bought much of the rest on the Rockies side.

Both properties are now under conservation easements that prohibit development.

“This would really ruin it for people driving between the metros wanting to see a little of the Old West,” Malone, 84, said in a recent Zoom interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Caitlin Quander, an attorney representing the Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation, attended a Palmer Lake Board of Trustees meeting in late May to voice the foundation’s concerns about the impact of open space, the conservation easement, wildlife, traffic, public safety, water and preservation of dark skies.

“To date, public and private funds to preserve the Valley have exceeded $90 million and the foundation is prepared to do what is necessary to protect it on the behalf of future generations,” she said.

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