DECK: Spokesman says company still wants to build a travel center in region

The long battle in Palmer Lake over supersized travel center Buc-ee’s may be over. The town confirmed Wednesday that the contentious annexation application by Buc-ee’s developers has been withdrawn.

Mark Waller, a consultant with the company, said that there “really wasn’t much to say” as of yet on the reason for the withdrawal. He said the company still wanted to build a location in the region, but that he did not anticipate a resubmittal to Palmer Lake.

“They’re certainly exploring all of their options at this point, that’s for sure,” he said.

A media coordinator with Buc-ee’s declined comment Wednesday.

In a public notice, the town wrote that the established state annexation process had been followed and that the public can stay informed through public meetings.

Erica Romero, Palmer Lake town clerk, wrote in an email that the town “does not currently have legal representation and cannot comment further at this time.” 

The town board of trustees, in a majority vote, fired the previous town lawyer, Scott Krob, earlier this month. Palmer Lake has not yet retained a replacement.

Integrity Matters, a local political organization that has invested heavily in the opposition to Buc-ee’s, released a statement Wednesday saying the withdrawal did not happen “by accident.”

“It happened because citizens organized, spoke out, voted and refused to be ignored,” the statement read.

HISTORY OF BUC-EE’S AND PALMER LAKE

The proposal to build a second Buc-ee’s location in Colorado outside Palmer Lake has divided the community since developers held their first public meeting on the project in December 2024. Proponents said the 74,000-square-foot gas station and store selling branded merchandise and barbecue would be an economic boon for the small town of less than 3,000.

The plan, submitted under Monument Ridge West, LLC, would connect a parcel west of Interstate 25 by a thin strip of land to the town about 2 miles away in a legal maneuver called a “flag pole” annexation. The negotiated annexation deal later revealed that developers would pay for the building of a dedicated well for the travel center and an auxiliary well for the town.

In exchange, Buc-ee’s would have access to the town’s groundwater system to supply the store.

Opposition soon galvanized in social media circles, with residents of Palmer Lake and communities such as Monument and unincorporated Woodmoor voicing concerns about water scarcity, light pollution, traffic and impacts on wildlife.

The last issue was championed by one of the state’s largest landowners and richest people: cable TV magnate John Malone. The Gazette first reported in August 2025 that the billionaire and fellow Douglas County landowner and real estate businessman Ian Griffis had paid for public ad campaigns against the development.

Malone claimed that the travel center would negatively impact the environmental value of the conservation corridor that protects thousands of acres directly north of the proposed location, much of which is owned by the Malone family.

Less than 5 miles away, the now-completed Greenland Overpass was also under construction, set to become North America’s largest wildlife bridge, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

During the same period, Gov. Jared Polis and both of Colorado’s U.S. senators released a letter to Buc-ee’s founder Arch Alpin III opposing the proposed location for Buc-ee’s, echoing concerns about the conservation corridor.

“The proposed site is within one of the most consequential conservation corridors in the United States, a landscape that Coloradans from across the political spectrum have worked to conserve at substantial public and private expense,” the letter read.

As the evaluation process progressed in Palmer Lake, some leaders on the town’s board of trustees received criticism for a perceived bias in favor of Buc-ee’s, especially after the board voted that the plan met legal eligibility requirements. The board never voted to approve or reject the plan itself.

A recall effort soon solidified against two trustees, Shana Ball and Kevin Dreher. In a Sept. 9 special election, both were recalled. The town also soundly approved a ballot measure that introduced a new ordinance that requires an election for all annexation requests.

After the election, the town lost multiple other staff and elected officials through resignations. The new board, including just two members who have weathered the past year, was in the midst of deciding how to run a special election under the new rules when the Buc-ee’s application was withdrawn.

Beth Harris, a trustee elected during the recall who has expressed opposition to Buc-ee’s, said that she wanted to focus on reconciliation.

“We definitely splintered as a town around this topic,” she said. “I would love to be a part of helping the town heal from the splintering.”

Stay with gazette.com for more on this developing story.