Colorado’s proposed second Buc-ee’s is moving ahead again. Following a major zoning victory for the Colorado project, the company has taken the next step: submitting a detailed development plan for county review.
The proposed travel center would sit near Interstate 25 and County Line Road on Monument Hill, north of Colorado Springs. It has drawn fierce local debate, but the newest filing shows Buc-ee’s is continuing to pursue the property rather than walking away.
The company submitted its plan on October 12
According to El Paso County’s official project update, Buc-ee’s submitted a site development plan on October 12, 2026. County staff will now examine how the proposed store would work on the property, from parking and lighting to landscaping, traffic and road improvements.
That is a meaningful step beyond the August 27 vote that allowed the project to proceed under the site’s existing C-1 commercial zoning. Back then, county commissioners settled a question about whether this kind of business was an allowed use. Buc-ee’s had not yet submitted the detailed site plan now under review.
The next decision is different. County staff will review the technical design and can approve it administratively if it meets applicable requirements. The plan does not automatically return to the Board of County Commissioners for another vote.
For Buc-ee’s fans, that means the project has entered a more practical phase. Instead of debating only what kind of business belongs on the land, the county is now evaluating how a travel center would actually fit there.
The proposed store still faces important hurdles
The site has been controversial for more than a year. Buc-ee’s previously sought to bring the property into nearby Palmer Lake, but the annexation effort was withdrawn in February 2026. The company then pursued approvals through El Paso County instead.
Residents have raised concerns about the scale of the development, traffic, water and the surrounding landscape. Earlier plans described a store of roughly 74,000 square feet with around 120 fueling positions, although the final design remains subject to review.
Crucially, submitting a site plan is not the same as receiving permission to build. The project still needs the applicable development and construction approvals, and county officials have not announced an approved groundbreaking date.
When could Colorado’s next Buc-ee’s open?
There is no confirmed opening date. The county’s October announcement begins a review process; it does not say when staff will finish or when construction might start.
Colorado currently has one operating Buc-ee’s in Johnstown, north of Denver. A second location along I-25 would give drivers another place to stop between Denver and Colorado Springs, but that possibility remains a proposal rather than a sure thing.
The takeaway for Colorado road-trippers is progress, not an opening countdown. After winning the zoning argument in August, Buc-ee’s has now filed the next set of plans. Whether those plans clear review will determine how much closer the beaver gets to Monument Hill.
Links on this page may be affiliate links, for which the site earns a small commission, but the price for you is the same
Leave a Comment