To those of you that signed previous versions of the "Stop Buc-ee's in Woodmoor/El Paso County" petitions, WELCOME!  This will be your new home for continuing updates as our more than year-long battle continues!!!!!

On February 4th, the land owner/Buc-ee's formally withdrew their annexation request to the town of Palmer Lake!!!!!! Although this was a fantastic win, our fight is NOT over yet. Things are now shifting as we know that Buc-ee's is moving onto 'Plan B', where the same day they withdrew their annexation request, they began in El Paso County and are attempting to gain approval from them to build in the EXACT SAME location. 

Now is the time for ALL residents of Northern El Paso County to take a stand and let your voices be heard! Please sign this petition and allow us to provide you the updates you need to stay informed and help us win this fight against Buc-ee's and preserve what makes Northern El Paso County and the Tri-Lakes community so special.

========================================================================

Proposed New Buc-ee's Location:

 

 

 

 

74,000 square feet

120 gas pumps

~165 toilets/urinals

 

I live very close and directly east of the proposed building site for the new Buc-ee’s in the Tri-Lakes area of Colorado. This personal connection to the site has intensified my concerns about the negative impacts that such a massive development could bring to our beautiful and rural community. Buc-ee's plans to build a colossal 74,000 square foot store with 120 gas pumps here, which poses severe threats to the area's traffic flow, local wildlife, cherished dark skies, and water resources.

 

TRAFFIC ISSUES AND WILDFIRE EVACUATION:

We are a residential community, and the addition of a supersized retail destination could transform our roads into perpetual gridlock. According to data from the Colorado Department of Transportation, increased traffic congestion can lead to a rise in accidents, reduced air quality, and longer commute times, severely impacting the daily lives of local residents. Not to mention the drastic negative impact the increased traffic would have on the wildfire evacuation times for our neighborhoods!

 

 

 

 

WILDLIFE IMPACTS:

Moreover, the proposed Buc-ee’s location will disrupt local wildlife habitats. The Tri-Lakes area is home to a diverse array of species that rely on the natural environment for sustenance and shelter. Displacement or destruction of these habitats could lead to a decrease in biodiversity, as highlighted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Just two miles north of the proposed location, construction was recently completed on a $15 million wildlife overpass, the largest such overpass in the United States. The noise, traffic and light a Buc-ee's would bring would severely impact this wonderful addition to our community.

 

 

 

 

DARK SKIES:

The dark skies of the Tri-Lakes area are a treasured feature of our community, admired by astronomers and locals alike. Light pollution from a massive 24/7 operation could erase this rare opportunity to witness the night sky in its natural state, a growing concern illustrated by reports from the International Dark-Sky Association.

WATER RESOURCES:

Water is a precious resource in Colorado, particularly in rural areas like ours. The 1.2 million gallon per month water demand from such a large facility would add additional stress to an already limited supply, potentially affecting local homeowners and quickly drain the already declining water level in the non-renewable Denver basin aquifer. 

PROPERTY VALUE IMPACTS:

For most families in Tri-Lakes, their home is their largest financial asset.

Extensive peer-reviewed research(*) shows that proximity to high-traffic corridors and major commercial uses can reduce nearby property values — with the strongest impacts closest to the source.

Using proximity-based modeling for Tri-Lakes:

Within 1 Mile (Scenario)
~10% potential impact
≈ $77,000 average loss per home
≈ $51 million total neighborhood impact

Within 3 Miles (Scenario)
~5% potential impact
≈ $30,000 average loss per home
≈ $197 million total regional impact

Even a conservative 1% across three miles equals nearly $40 million in property value reduction.

NOT THE RIGHT LOCATION!!!!!!!

This location is simply NOT the right fit for a massive Buc-ee's store. I urge the decision-makers to carefully consider the environmental, infrastructural, and social consequences of allowing this expansion to proceed.

Let's protect the Tri-Lakes area's community charm, natural environment, and resource sustainability by encouraging Buc-ee's to seek alternative sites for their store that do not present such significant risks.

Please join me in preserving the integrity and beauty of our community by signing this petition and spreading the word to others who care about our future.

For more information and ways you can help, please visit:   Tri-Lakes Preservation Inc. and StopBuceesPalmerLake.com

If you are able to donate to our cause, please visit either TPI Donations or TPI GoFundMe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Savannah Eller

 

(*)

Published research includes:

• Meta-analyses of North American housing markets find measurable property value discounts associated with highway traffic noise exposure, often in the range of 5–10% depending on proximity (e.g., Nelson, Journal of Transport Economics & Policy).

• Transaction-level housing studies using hedonic pricing methods show statistically significant capitalization of environmental disamenities such as traffic noise and air pollution within several hundred meters of major roadways (e.g., NBER Working Papers; Chay & Greenstone).

• Quasi-experimental research examining housing markets near major industrial or environmental disamenities finds price discounts that can exceed 10% at close proximity in some markets (e.g., Greenstone & Gallagher, Quarterly Journal of Economics).

Based on this published literature, we modeled 5–10% scenarios within one-three miles for illustrative purposes.