How a possible Buc-ee’s travel plaza has divided one Colorado town

Last year, Buc-ee’s opened its first Colorado location, an expansive 74,000 square-foot outpost in Weld County filled with beaver-branded merch, brisket sandwiches and sweets. Not too long after that, the company began plans for a second store, landing at a parcel of land about a two-hours drive away in northern El Paso County. But the prospect of a Buc-ee’s arriving on the edge of the small town of Palmer Lake quickly became a larger-than-life controversy. 

CPR’s Bente Birkeland, KRCC’s Andrea Chalfin and KRCC’s Briana Heaney dig into the story behind this big development proposal -- and its big opposition. It's a tale which raises questions around growth, representative government and how communities navigate bitter political divides.

Read their coverage:

• Colorado’s governor and senators sign letter asking Buc-ee’s to reconsider Monument Hill location
• In debate over new Buc-ee’s, early results show Palmer Lake residents want a public vote and recall of two trustees
• Buc-ee’s gets a thumb’s down from the Palmer Lake Planning Commission
• Here’s what the agreement between Palmer Lake and Buc-ee’s looks like, mostly. The annexation still needs approval
• Mayor of Palmer Lake resigns with town divided over possible Buc-ee’s

Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

You can also help support Purplish, with a gift at cpr.org.

Purplish's producer is Stephanie Wolf. This episode was edited by Megan Verlee and sound designed and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Our theme music is by Brad Turner.