Press & media
Buc-ee's Travel Center — Monument Hill
Monument, El Paso County, CO · Under Review In Litigation · updated Nov 1, 2026
In brief
Buc-ee's has proposed a 74,000 sq ft travel center with 120 fueling positions on 30.8 acres at I-25 and County Line Road on Monument Hill. El Paso County ruled in August 2026 that the use fits existing C-1 zoning (Resolution 26-260). The site development plan (file PPR2628) is under administrative review, and the zoning decision is being challenged in district court (2026CV032336).
- Proposed by
- Buc-ee's EPCO, LLC (represented by Vertex Consulting Services; engineer Kimley-Horn and Associates)
- Decided by
- El Paso County Planning & Community Development (site plan PPR2628, administrative review)
- Location
- I-25 and County Line Road, Monument Hill
- Status
- Under Review · in litigation
- Followers on StandLocal
- 1
Decisions & votes
- Carrie GeitnerYes
- Cory ApplegateYesSeconded
- Holly WilliamsYes
- Lauren NelsonYesMade the motion
- Bill WysongNoLone vote against
Key questions
Has Buc-ee's been approved to build here?
Not yet. On August 27, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners decided 4–1 that a Buc-ee's travel center is an allowed use under the site's existing C-1 zoning (Resolution 26-260). The county has said that decision did not approve construction or a site plan.
Buc-ee's submitted its site development plan (county file PPR2628) on October 12, 2026. County staff are reviewing it, with comments from other agencies.
Will there be a public hearing on the site plan?
According to El Paso County, no. The site development plan goes through administrative review: county staff check it against requirements such as lighting, landscaping, parking and traffic. If it meets the code, the planning director approves it. An approved plan would not go back to the Board of County Commissioners and could not be appealed to the Board.
What is the Rule 106 lawsuit asking for?
On September 24, 2026, nine plaintiffs — Tri-Lakes Preservation, The Community Voice, the High Pines Patio Homes HOA and six nearby residents — filed a complaint in El Paso County District Court (case 2026CV032336) against the Board of County Commissioners and Buc-ee's EPCO, LLC.
Under Colorado's Rule 106, they ask a judge to review whether the Board exceeded its authority. The complaint argues the project is a "gas station," which is not allowed in C-1 zoning; that the Board skipped a required step in the similar-use test; and that the record doesn't support the Board's findings. It asks the court to reverse the decision or send it back to the Board. It does not ask the court to halt the project while the case proceeds.
Where would the water come from?
According to the applicant's submitted plans, which are still under county review, the site would use two on-site wells drawing from the Arapahoe and Denver aquifers, with a 500,000-gallon water tank, and a sewer line to the Monument Sanitation District.
KRDO reported in October 2026 that a hearing on a water usage dispute is set for December; opponents argue the county should not approve the project until that dispute is resolved.
How much traffic would it bring?
The applicant's traffic impact study estimates about 22,150 trips per day, most of them diverted from I-25 rather than new trips. It recommends new traffic signals at both I-25 ramps and a realigned County Line Road / Beacon Lite Road intersection. County staff and CDOT review the study as part of the site plan.
Timeline
- Oct 19, 2026Residents reaffirm opposition at community meeting Source ↗
- Oct 12, 2026Site development plan accepted for review Source ↗
- Sep 24, 2026Zoning decision challenged in district court (2026CV032336) Source ↗
- Aug 31, 2026Site plan file PPR2628 opened Source ↗
- Aug 28, 2026Resolution 26-260 recorded Source ↗
- Aug 27, 2026Commissioners grant Buc-ee's appeal, 4-1 Source ↗
- August 2026Town of Monument urges county to deny classification Source ↗
- Jul 21, 2026Residents ask commissioners for evening hearing and equal time Source ↗
- Jul 7, 2026Buc-ee's files appeal (APP261) Source ↗
- Jun 23, 2026County director cannot determine use classification (ADM264) Source ↗
Key documents
- Resolution 26-260 — Board decision on Buc-ee's appeal Aug 28, 2026
The Board of County Commissioners' written decision on Buc-ee's appeal (county file APP261), recorded August 28, 2026. It records the Board's 4–1 decision granting the appeal, so the proposed travel center may be treated as an allowed use in the site's C-1 zoning. It does not approve a site plan or construction — that is a separate review (file PPR2628).
- County statement on the Aug. 27 decision Aug 27, 2026
The county's public statement after the August 27 hearing. It explains that the Board found the proposed use allowed in C-1 zoning and stresses that the decision did not approve construction or a site plan.
- Palmer Lake Planning Commission Resolution 61-2025 Sep 3, 2025
The Town of Palmer Lake Planning Commission's September 2025 recommendation to deny the Planned Development zoning that would have come with annexing the site into Palmer Lake. It cites scale, small-town character, water and night-sky concerns. The annexation application was later withdrawn.
- PPR2628 — Traffic impact study Sep 14, 2026
The applicant's estimate of how the project would affect traffic. It projects about 22,150 trips per day, most of them diverted from I-25 rather than new trips, and recommends new signals at both I-25 ramps and a realigned County Line Road / Beacon Lite Road intersection. County staff and CDOT review these findings; residents often focus on winter conditions on Monument Hill.
- PPR2628 — Water supply report Sep 30, 2026
How the applicant proposes to supply water: two on-site wells drawing from the Arapahoe and Denver aquifers, with a 500,000-gallon water tank. Water supply is one of the main issues raised by opponents, and a hearing on a water usage dispute was reported to be set for December 2026.
- PPR2628 — Site development plan Sep 14, 2026
The main site layout: where the 74,000 sq ft store, two fuel canopies (120 fueling positions), about 810 parking spaces, access roads and three detention ponds would sit on the 30.8-acre parcel. This is the plan county staff are reviewing administratively.
