The Monument Town Council has entered the ongoing land-use dispute over a proposed Buc-ee's facility near County Line Road and Interstate 25, formally requesting that El Paso County commissioners deny any appeal that would allow the development to proceed without a full zoning review.
The town's statement asked commissioners to uphold their decision from July, in which the county's Planning and Community Development Director determined it was unable to decide whether the proposed development qualifies as a "convenience store" under the county's Land Development Code. Buc-ee's filed an appeal against that decision a week later, and the matter is scheduled to be discussed at a future date, according to the El Paso County website.
Monument said it supports the county's original determination and is asking that any appeals allowing the development to be classified outside what the Land Development Code permits be denied. The town council stated the county "must require the appropriate rezoning or other comprehensive land-use review — with full public notice and participation — before taking further action."
According to the county, the appeal will address the single question of "whether the proposed Buc-ee's use is an allowed use in the C-1 zoning district or is similar enough to be an allowed use to be considered as such." The county has emphasized it is deciding only on the land-use classification, and not on any proposed development on the property.
The plot of land purchased by Buc-ee's in April is zoned C-1, a district where convenience stores are among the currently approved uses. Buc-ee's sought to be classified under that designation, but the Planning and Community Development Director was unable to fully determine whether the proposed store would meet the requirements.
Tri-Lakes area residents have sent numerous emails to county commissioners on the subject. Those neighbors argued the proposed development does not meet the spirit of a "convenience store," pointing to Buc-ee's own use of the term "travel center" on its public websites.
The site has a prior history of community resistance. Buc-ee's originally attempted to annex the property into the town of Palmer Lake, emphasizing the potential for nearly $1 million in sales tax revenue, but the Palmer Lake community pushed back strongly, citing concerns about the erasure of their small-town identity. Buc-ee's withdrew that annexation request in February.
A consultant for Buc-ee's has confirmed the company still plans to build on the land if the project is approved by the county. The county has stressed that the pending appeal decision does not constitute an approval or denial of Buc-ee's application, and does not authorize construction, development, signage, or any other business operations.
El Paso County commissioners have not yet announced a hearing date for the Buc-ee's appeal, and the outcome of that proceeding will determine whether the company can pursue development under current C-1 zoning.