(MONUMENT, Colo.) — A new petition calling for the stop of the expansion of Buc-ee’s has surfaced online after hundreds gathered on Tuesday, Dec. 3 to voice their opinions over the proposed gas station.

The petition lists various reasons for the Monument Town Board to shut down the development. One of them points out that the gas station would ‘threaten’ the quiet and low-density lifestyle of Woodmoor/Colorado Estates, which would be within 1000 feet of homes.

The petition’s organizer, Travis Dezellem, also wrote other Buc-ee’s in Colorado are around a mile away from the nearest neighborhoods.

“Our Woodmoor neighborhood is more than just a collection of houses;” the petition said. “It is a community and a lifestyle that we wish to preserve for all our current and future residents.”

Other reasons the petition lists include traffic issues as Buc-ee’s sees 7,000 to 12,000 cars daily, disruption of the town’s water sources, and criminal activity. If approved, Buc-ee’s would be located west of I-25 and east of Beacon Lite Road near the County Line exit.

“These concerns are not just theoretical. Studies show that such developments can decrease nearby property values and alter the character of communities. The project contradicts Palmer Lake’s Community Master Plan, which aims to discourage big-box or large franchise businesses.”

Per the 2022 Palmer Lake Community Master Plan, a survey performed showed that respondents did in fact not favor franchise businesses, nor want it close. Guiding Objective ED-1.2 also discourages the development of any of these businesses as they are available “directly outside of Town limits.”

“The respondents do not favor franchise businesses and care about the appearance of commercial and industrial development. They also do not want commercial or industrial development close to neighborhoods,” the plan states.

Buc-ee’s developers answered questions from individuals who attended the meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 3, and said they would pay for any of the improvements CDOT would require.

“We will construct and pay for all of the improvements CDOT requires us to put in place. If we need a new bridge, we will choose at that time whether or not we build a new bridge. Have we built new bridges before? Yes, we have,” said one of the developers at the meeting.

As for the water concerns, the town of Palmer Park has a third party evaluating the water to ensure there is enough. At the moment, over 2,000 have signed the petition to stop the expansion.

The Palmer Lake Board of Trustees is scheduled to establish whether Buc-ee’s is eligible to annex the land for the site on Thursday, Dec. 12.