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BEAVER MATH: When the Numbers Just Don’t Flush
Imagine a bathroom so spotless it sparkles — row after row of Buc-ee’s toilets, each occupied by a red-hatted beaver laughing its tail off. Outside the window, a giant elk peers in, shocked, as a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam clogs the foothills of Pikes Peak in a haze of emissions.
It looks clean on the surface. But it stinks underneath. Thankfully, Mary Scott, former Chief Financial Officer and municipal auditor, flushed out the truth for us.
And spoiler alert: beavers aren’t great at math.
It's not $1 million in annual revenues to the Town. At best, it's $2,543/year, but that misses a critical factor explained below.
Build It and Bankrupt Them
Palmer Lake says it’s broke. They can’t fund trails, can’t afford code enforcement, and supposedly need to raise water rates.
But if they approve Buc-ee’s, suddenly they’ll need to cover $5.9 million in infrastructure upgrades — roads, patrol cars, fire equipment, water lines. Where’s that coming from?
A bond. A 20-year bond.
And when you plug that into the town’s own math?
💥 Annual Net Loss to Taxpayers: –$503,193.57
⛔ That’s A HALF MILLION dollars down the toilet every year for two decades.
💸 All to support a gas station the size of an airport terminal.
So much for being fiscally responsible.
The I-25 Bombshell — 25 to 40 Million Reasons to Say No
Now here’s what they’re not disclosing:
The I-25 interchange needed at County Line Road is no small add-on.
Insiders say a Diamond Interchange, just like the one Buc-ee’s got in Ocala, Florida, is in the works.
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Ocala’s interchange cost: $121 million
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Buc-ee’s contribution: $4 million (plus hefty donations to Ron DeSantis)
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Taxpayer burden: the rest.
Palmer Lake’s version? Estimated at $25–$40 million minimum.
Who is going to pay for that?
The Real Cost of “Winning”
Even if the financial math weren’t flushed, the quality-of-life impacts are enough to raise serious alarms — just ask the elk peeking through the window.
Here’s what Palmer Lake gets in exchange for A HALF MILLION in annual losses:
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💧 Water Use: Buc-ee’s would guzzle 1.2–1.5 million gallons/month
That’s a 30% increase in the town’s entire water usage — for one business.
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🚗 Traffic: Over 11,000 cars per day, every day, funneling in and out of a giant gas station.
This turns County Line Road into a gridlocked funnel of brake lights and fumes.
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🌃 Light Pollution: Buc-ee’s is open 24/7. Massive canopy lights, parking lot glare, and glowing signage.
Goodbye stars, hello sleepless nights and bug-swarmed porch lights.
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🦌 Wildlife Disruption: The site sits right in the path of migratory corridors.
Elk, deer, and coyotes are already spooked — just like the taxpayers.
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🏚️ Local Business Drain: Tourists won’t stop in Palmer Lake for a bite or a beer — they’ll top off at Buc-ee’s and head to the interstate.
This isn’t just overdevelopment. It’s ecological and economic malpractice.
An Alternative Idea — A Better, Higher Use in Harmony With Wildlife and Environment - that actually Makes Money!
We don’t have to settle for a gas station with 165 toilets and a financial black hole. There’s a better vision for this land — one that respects Palmer Lake’s water, wildlife, and residents.
Introducing one example of a better idea, the Kʉcʉ Observatory & Eco-Lodge:
A high-value, low-impact, locally grounded project that celebrates nature and culture — not pavement and congestion.
High upon the ancient ridges where Earth and sky meet, the Kʉcʉ Observatory and Eco-Lodge honors the living spirit of the Ute people. "Kʉcʉ," the Ute word for "Bison," embodies strength, endurance, and a sacred bond between people, animals, and the land.
The logo features a sacred circle with four paths converging at the center—a symbol representing the Four Directions, the movement of the Sun, and the balance of life. It speaks to a worldview of harmony, connection, and respect for all that exists.
Just beyond the site lies an ancient Bison jump, where Ute hunters once used the land’s natural formations to provide for their people through skill, unity, and reverence. These cliffs still hold the energy of those timeless traditions.
In the years that followed, General William Jackson Palmer—visionary founder of Colorado Springs—recognized the beauty and importance of preserving these sacred landscapes. His spirit of stewardship inspires our vision today.
The Kʉcʉ Observatory and Eco-Lodge invites you to walk these storied paths, to look beyond the stars, and to invest in a place where history, culture, and wonder come together under the endless sky. A financial sketch shows it's a money-maker, at conservative estimates.
Here’s what it brings to the table:
✅ $329,000/year in real, recurring revenue for Palmer Lake — no developer spin, no inflated promises
✅ Only 50,000 gallons/month of water use — that’s less than 5% of Buc-ee’s consumption
✅ Just 2,000 cars/day — instead of 11,000 in constant gridlock
✅ Fully funded through grants and private investment — no taxpayer bonds required
✅ Profitable by Year 3, with potential revenue sharing across the Tri-Lakes area
✅ Includes a trolley loop, educational programs, bike rentals, guided wildlife and historical tours
✅ Designed with two wildlife crossings, dark-sky lighting, and native habitat restoration
✅ Honors Ute cultural history and promotes eco-tourism — not extractive development
In short:
The Kʉcʉ Observatory & Eco-Lodge or something similar, as this is just an idea, is the highest and best use of this land. It creates jobs, education, revenue, and recreation — in harmony with Palmer Lake’s scale, values, and future.
We don’t need to pave our future in asphalt and regret.
Let’s Ditch the Flush Fantasy
While Buc-ee’s offers us debt, gridlock, wildlife disruption, and a few souvenir armadillos, the Kʉcʉ Observatory & Eco-Lodge, or something like it, offers something radically different:
A future rooted in education, ecology, heritage, and prosperity.
We can either spend the next 20 years bailing out a gas station, or invest in something that actually gives back — to our town, our land, and our next generation. This isn’t just a financial decision. It’s a values decision.
Say NO to the illusion of “$1,000,000” revenue.
Say NO to overdevelopment, under-disclosure, and taxpayer-funded corporate welfare.
Say YES to a project that protects water, honors wildlife, preserves our skies, and celebrates who we are.
Say YES to Palmer Lake’s real future.
Say YES to Kʉcʉ or a similar idea that respects the wildlife, environment and history of the Tri-lakes Area.