PALMER LAKE — A group of citizens filed petitions Thursday to recall three Palmer Lake Board of Trustees from their positions.
Some residents of the small town have been vocally protesting the potential construction of a Buc-ee’s Travel Center proposed for I-25 and County Line Road, which divides El Paso and Douglas Counties. The proposed site is on the El Paso County side of the road.
The petitions seek to recall Trustees Shana Ball, Kevin Dreher, and Dennis Stern. All three were elected in 2022 to a four-year term. The documents were filed by Palmer Lake residents Beth Harris, Dailee Fagnant, and Cody Fouts.
The Town of Palmer Lake did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night. This story will be updated.
A source with knowledge of the situation expressed expectations the town will push back against the latest move in an ongoing saga that’s involved outspoken opposition, lawsuits, and complaints with the Colorado Attorney General’s office.
Last year, elected officials first approved the eligibility for the land to be folded into Town of Palmer Lake through what’s known as a flagpole annexation, as shown by the map below:
According to the petitions filed with the Palmer Lake town clerk’s office, the three trustees “failed to provide fair, balanced, and well-informed leadership.”
Each petition lists varying grievances, including accusations of collusion, violating transparency and open meeting laws, and conflicts of interest with developers surrounding the proposal to build a Buc-ee’s, a popular Texas-based chain. The company opened its first Colorado location near Johnstown in 2024.
You can view the petition below:
Last year, the Town of Palmer Lake voted the property on the corner of County Line Road and I-25 was eligible to be annexed.
A lawsuit filed in January by the self-proclaimed watchdog group Integrity Matters, which was first reported by KOAA News5, alleged a multitude of complaints including improper land annexation agreements, restriction of free speech, and violation of open meeting laws.
WATCH: Lawsuit filed against Town of Palmer Lake and several officials over proposed Buc-ee's
Town officials pushed back against many of the lawsuit claims and have stressed they have not yet made a decision on whether or not the development will move forward.
In response to the massive outcry, the Town promised three independent studies before moving forward in the process. The traffic study was released this week.
Two more, analyzing the fiscal impacts and the ability of the Town’s water rights and water system to support such a development, are yet to be released.
The traffic study found that the existing traffic operations in 2025 are "acceptable at all study intersections. Delays and queues are minor."
Covering Colorado
Traffic study for proposed Buc-ee's north of Colorado Springs released
A separate petition for referendum was also filed that would force annexation of land into the Town of Palmer Lake to be voted on by the people in a regular or special election.
According to Colorado statute, the clerk must approve or reject the petition format by the close of the second business day following submission, which is end of day Friday.
The petitioners then have 60 days to collect signatures, which are then verified, leading to a potential recall election.
According to the Town of Palmer Lake website, elected trustees are all volunteers.
This is a developing story.
___
Housing market becoming more 'balanced' in Colorado Springs
New numbers from the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors (PPAR) show that there weren't any major shifts in the Colorado Springs housing market from January to February.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
