A recent land transfer is sending signals that Buc-ee’s may be committed to building its second Colorado location at a controversial site near Monument Hill.

The property on I-25 at the northern border of unincorporated El Paso County has long been eyed for the Texas chain of travel centers known for clean bathrooms and brand merchandise. From the project’s announcement in 2024 to this year, the owner of the land has remained Monument Ridge West, LLC.

According to El Paso County records, ownership of the property changed this month. The new owner is Buc-ee’s EPCO, LLC, a company that appears to be connected with the larger Buc-ee’s company. The paperwork also lists CSMS Management, LLC.

While both companies are registered out of state, CSMS has been linked to other land purchases made on behalf of Buc-ee’s for locations. It was also the original applicant listed in a letter of intent submitted to Palmer Lake last year, when the company still intended to annex the proposed store into the town.

Buc-ee’s did not respond to a request for comment.

The company has a long history in Palmer Lake, where concerted efforts by opposition groups, including lawsuits and a recall election, prolonged the evaluation process for its annexation request. While Buc-ee’s representatives argued the 74,000-square-foot gas station plus a store would bring major revenue to the town, frequent, heated town meetings on the issue featured concerns about water consumption, encroachment on conserved landscapes, and other objections.

Gov. Jared Polis and both of Colorado’s senators eventually lent their voices to the opposition.

Earlier this year, Buc-ee’s withdrew its Palmer Lake application without citing an official reason. The move sparked debate on whether the company would seek a different location or pursue other means to achieve government approvals.

The land purchase is the latest in a series of legal maneuvers suggesting the company will pursue its original plan – this time without Palmer Lake’s involvement.

In March, the previous landowner got approval from El Paso County for a boundary line adjustment: a legal change to the property lines of the Buc-ee’s parcel.

The landowner also entered an agreement with a county contractor to dump extra dirt from a road construction project onto the property to be used for grading. What may look like construction activity on the property now is a result of that deal.

Also in March, the Colorado Division of Water Resources approved the applications for two commercial well permits on the property, according to state records.

Taken together, signs may be pointing to Buc-ee’s pursuing a land-use application with El Paso County. Dana Duggan, who heads Integrity Matters, a local political watchdog group that has filed lawsuits that oppose the project, said the sale wasn’t a blindside.

“I’m not surprised, I’ll say that,” she said.

If Buc-ee’s submits its plans to El Paso County, the final say on approvals will come from the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, who are elected officials that oversee the county. Changes to land use typically involve public hearings as a project goes through the stages of evaluation.

The county has already been fielding high interest from the public about the property, prompting the creation of two different information pages.

“Under the law, property owners are entitled to a fair process where the Board of County Commissioners remains neutral (including no ex parte communication) prior to conducting a formal hearing where they review evidence and make a decision based on criteria previously established in the Land Development Code,” reads one.

No plans explicitly tied to Buc-ee’s have yet been submitted to the county.