Light pollution

El Paso County commissioners voted 4-to-1 to allow Buc-ee's to build a travel center on a 30-acre parcel near I-25 and County Line Road in the Tri Lakes area, ruling the project qualifies as a convenience store under the county's existing C-1 zoning. The decision came after a nearly nine-hour hearing marked by resident opposition, who argued the 120-pump facility functions more like a gas station than a convenience store and would worsen traffic and disrupt the rural character of the area.

Opponents, including former Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, said the project should go through a full rezoning process and raised concerns about light pollution near the Greenland Open Space. Commissioners who backed the project cited private property rights and a broad reading of the zoning code. The vote follows two years of debate that began with a separate Buc-ee's proposal in Palmer Lake, which triggered a recall election and drew criticism from Colorado's governor and U.S. senators. Buc-ee's did not attend Thursday's hearing and has not announced a construction timeline.