Buc-ee's Virginia: Stafford residents to weigh in on proposed location near I-95
Residents weigh in on construction of Buc-ee's in Stafford County
Residents in Stafford County will have the opportunity to ask questions about a proposed Buc-ee's Travel Center in Stafford Monday night.
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. - Residents in Stafford County will have the opportunity to ask questions about a proposed Buc-ee's Travel Center in Stafford Monday night.
What we know:
The meeting is set for Monday, October 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Colonial Forge High School, 550 Courthouse Road.
Buc-ee's representatives will share details about the project and hear concerns from residents.
The popular, Texas-based, mega-gas station "Buc-ee’s" has been eyeing Exit 140 on I-95 in Stafford County, Virginia.
A Conditional Use Permit request posted back in February outlines plans for a 74,000 square foot Buc-ee’s Travel Center with room for 120 gas pumps and a large store. Buc-ee’s stores are known for their in-house barbeque, baked goods, sweets, and clothing.
The business and its smiling-beaver mascot would be built by Austin Ridge Drive and Courthouse Road. The location has a Super Wawa across the street from the proposal site. A Sheetz gas station and store sits on the other side of I-95.
The Stafford County site would be only the second Buc-ee's in Virginia, and the closest to the DMV. The first Virginia location opened in June in Mount Crawford, about two hours south of D.C.
The other side:
Last May, FOX 5 reported on critics in Stafford against the proposed Buc-ee's, citing concerns about traffic, zoning and safety.
"I’ve been to a Buc-ee’s before," Anne Bell told FOX 5 in May 2024. "I feel like it could offer a lot of jobs in the area, but it is – it does bring in a lot of traffic. Just when I stopped at one before, all of the cars were lined-up so my concern is: What is the entrance going to look like? What is the exit? How easy it going to be for people to get in and out – because my concern obviously is the traffic. I’m a teacher so I don’t want it to affect any of the people trying to get to school and things like that."
A handful of protesters against the development gathered in Stafford County on May 22, 2024.
"We’re not against development, but we don’t think Buc-ee's is the right type of development to come into our area," said Darla Stencavage. "Per Buc-ee's numbers, they're saying 20,000 cars per day into the area that's usually in the top five worst traffic areas in the nation."
What's next:
Following Monday night's community meeting, a planning commission public hearing is scheduled for October 29.
The next step beyond that is a Board of Supervisors public hearing.