Buc-ee’s expansion sparks backlash over traffic, environment

• Despite its popularity, Buc-ee's expansion plans face opposition from local communities in several states.
• Residents have raised concerns over increased traffic, environmental impact, and potential harm to local businesses.
• Common complaints against the massive travel centers include water usage, potential for chemical runoff, and light and noise pollution.

Buc-ee's, the wildly popular gas station-convenience store-tourist destination from Texas, has plans to open new locations around the country that extend into 2031. The massive travel centers have passionate fans who rave over the convenience, the row upon row of gas pumps, the cleanliness, and the fresh store-made foods and beaver-themed treats.

A Buc-ee's also brings hundreds of jobs to a community, can generate millions of dollars in revenue, and can bring thousands more visitors a day who might also hang around to check out the local diversions and shops.

Not everyone is happy to see a Buc-ee's sign go up, though.

Ahead of a proposed 74,000-square-foot Buc-ee's off Interstate 75 in Port Charlotte, Florida, some residents have raised concerns over the increased traffic it will bring to the area. The site chosen is also "entirely within the coastal high hazard area and the flood plain," locals told Gulf Coast News, and could disrupt endangered fish in a nursery nearby.

Plans for another Florida location − a 76,245-square-foot property in St. Lucie County − had to be resubmitted after addressing environmental concerns about possible disruptions to wildlife, including migratory birds and sea turtle hatchlings. The County Commission also had to approve a variance to local zoning regulations to allow Buc-ee's iconic 100-foot sign to loom by the highway.

Buc-ee's protests across the nation

In Palmer Lake, Colorado, a former school bus with a "Stop Buc-ee's" banner drove around northern El Paso County after local protests at a city meeting in December to discuss a potential location in the area.

Palmer Lake Mayor Glant Havenar told KRDO in February that the project was still very much in the beginning stages while the city waited for the results from multiple studies on traffic and water use. Several residents and nonprofit organizations sued the city to try to block the plans.

Buc-ee's withdrew its request in March, the Chron reported, citing a "technical issue."

In Springfield, Missouri, protesters marched against city incentives for a new Buc-ee's that included up to $9.2 million to be paid to the company over 20 years as reimbursement for necessary infrastructure improvements.

Oak Creek, Wisconsin, residents sued in April to stop the city from rezoning land for a proposed Buc-ee's there. A "Heave the Beave" fundraiser said that runoff from a new Buc-ee's would affect local groundwater and the nearby Root River and could endanger a nearby horse farm. The lawsuit was dismissed.

Opponents of a proposed 74,000-square-foot location in Stafford, Virginia, spoke up about the estimated increase of more than 20,000 vehicles a day, the noise, light pollution and decreased air quality. The Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved the plans May 20.

Why don't people want Buc-ee's?

The common complaints about potential 70,000-square-foot travel centers with more than 100 gas pumps each are increased traffic, environmental impact and cost.

• Increased traffic
  • Buc-ee's attracts thousands of drivers every day, dramatically increasing the traffic in the area. Development often includes expanded or new roads and additional traffic lights.
• Environmental impact
  • "Buc-ee's will consume over 10 million gallons of our precious water this year," the website stopbuceespalmerlake.com says, and most of it will go to nonresident travelers.
  • Each Buc-ee's, with its 100 to 120 gas pumps, stores hundreds of thousands of gallons of petroleum and other hazardous chemicals underground, increasing the chances for contamination of the local soil and water table.
  • Emissions from the thousands of vehicles visiting a Buc-ee's daily may affect local residents.
  • Buc-ee's developments may disrupt local wildlife and endangered species with light pollution, noise, traffic and chemical runoff.
• Local revenue
  • Buc-ee's often receives large tax breaks from local municipalities as an incentive to come there and may negotiate "capital incentives" to pay for improvements.
  • Buc-ee's generally offers gas at lower prices, which could hurt local gas stations that don't have the same purchasing power. Local mom-and-pop stores may also fail to compete.
  • Buc-ee's offers highly competitive wages and salaries, but its employee satisfaction rating at Indeed.com is just 2.5 out of 5. One review from a Florida employee said: "At first glance, this job may seem desirable due to the compensation and benefits, but don't be fooled. Employee paranoia is extremely high here to the point that it defines the culture."

Buc-ee's also has had some problems lately, with dozens of locations receiving an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau website.

On May 26, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued the company after a location in Bastrop, Texas, forced a disabled cashier to remain standing continuously and fired him after he was unable to return to work.

As plans move forward in multiple states, local officials and residents will continue to weigh the benefits of new jobs and revenue against the potential strain on infrastructure and the environment.

C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.