After a debate across two meetings, the Palmer Lake Planning Commission has voted not to recommend the zoning plan and annexation request for Texas travel chain Buc-ee’s to the town’s board of trustees. 

The vote came after multiple hours of discussion and interjections from the crowd between Wednesday night and an August meeting, which ended without a vote. 

Commissioner Andre Bergeron recused himself from the vote, claiming he had received threatening mail and felt intimidated. 

“The information that was sent to us has frightened my wife and my family,” he said.  

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In August, commissioners had follow-up questions for developers about water, lighting and proximity to open space. In the intervening time, developers answered questions submitted by commissioners on the documents involved in the zoning and annexation requests for the proposed 74,000-square-foot gas station and store. 

At Wednesday’s meeting, Commissioner Mike Beeson expressed concern over depleting groundwater in the region, which would potentially require the drilling of new wells in coming decades. 

“If we have to build more wells, we won’t be able to make a penny,” he said. 

Nina Ruiz, a project representative with Vertex Consulting Services, said that Buc-ee’s would pay for a needed redundancy well for the town in addition to its own supply well. 

“The town has not been able to come up with the funds for that well,” she said. 

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Developers also provided more detail on plans for the Buc-ee’s sign, which would be visible from Interstate 25. The plan originally called for a 100-foot sign, which was reduced to 75 feet after negotiations with the town. 

The commissioners who voted not to recommend the project cited conflicts with the Palmer Lake master plan as a factor. Commissioner Bill Fisher said that the site has continuity with conservation corridors to the north and would detract from the main development values of the town. 

Commission chair Charlie Ihlenfeld disagreed, saying the travel center was in line with other gas stations and truck stops that have been built along the I-25 corridor in the area. He voted “no” on the negative recommendation. 

“I don’t think this is incompatible with the master plan at all,” he said. 

The vote didn’t come as a surprise to Buc-ee’s consultant and former El Paso County commissioner Mark Waller.

“I think this was expected given the tenor of the meeting from a couple of weeks ago,” he said.

The final decision is set to go to the board of trustees at a special meeting on Oct. 2. Before the meeting, however, Palmer Lake residents will be presented with an option on a ballot measure to require all annexation decisions to go to voters for approval. The deadline for the special election by mail-in ballot is on Sept. 9. 

If the measure passes and the corresponding ordinance is approved, an approval from the trustees in October would be contingent on a later election for the final word.  

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