MONUMENT, Colo. — The owner of a Sinclair gas station in Monument shared her opinion with KOAA on the proposed Palmer Lake Buc-ee's just before a key meeting on the project.
The gas station and repair shop are located along Highway 105 just east of I-25, one exit south of the proposed Buc-ee's location. It stands out with an iconic green Sinclair dinosaur statue facing toward the highway.
"I just think that Buc-ee's is economically cannibalism," Shandra Sweet stated soon after she ended her shift Wednesday. "Basically, I feel as if they were on the next off-ramp, they would take our bread and butter, which is the traffic that drives through during the summertime or during the holidays."
Sweet took over the operation as a Sinclair dealer site in 2010 from her father. She employs fewer than 10 people who she says mostly grew up in the area graduating from Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge High Schools.
"As an independent dealer site, we pay more per gallon for our petrol than stores that have more buying power, so we can't compete with our price per gallon," Sweet explained. "I feel like everyone says they want to keep things American and small-town and back to basics, and a Buc-ee's is not that."
KOAA spoke with customers at Sweet's station as they rolled in Wednesday afternoon. Ten people said they opposed the Buc-ee's, four said they supported it, and one said he was indifferent. However, those who opposed it didn't want their names and faces shared publicly because of the large public outcry.
KOAA viewers on Facebook are mixed about the possibility of a Buc-ee's coming to northern El Paso County. Those who support it say the community should welcome the tax revenue the travel stop could bring to the town. The Texas-based Buc-ee's has a strong following across the country, with many throwing their support behind the Johnstown Location north of Denver that was opened earlier this year. Others are behind the new jobs that would be coming to the area.
For Sweet, her concern goes beyond just her own business.
"It's going to affect a bunch of smaller, locally owned businesses," Sweet added. "Luckily we have the repair shop, but the 7-Eleven doesn't."
The 7-Eleven Sweet spoke of is located on the west side of I-25 across from Sweet's business.
KOAA spoke to several business owners in the Tri-Lakes area, with all of them against the idea of a Buc-ee's in their community. If you are a local business owner in the area who is in support of the Buc-ee's and willing to talk on camera, please email Tony.Keith@koaa.com.
The proposed site for Buc-ee's is currently in El Paso County, outside of the Palmer Lake Town limits. Right now, Buc-ee's is hoping land will be annexed into Palmer Lake. The Palmer Lake Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet Thursday night at 6 to go over preliminary approval for the "flagpole" annexation request.
"The business item the Board will consider is eligibility of the annexation; NOT voting for/against the annexation," a post on the Palmer Lake website reads. "Whether to annex property to the Town of Palmer Lake is a decision that is to be made by the Board of Trustees of Palmer Lake, who were elected by the electors of Palmer Lake."
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