You can almost hear them singing at Buc-ee's Home Office:

"Ain’t no stopping us now."

Well, folks, after months of meetings, studies, questions, objections, negotiations and plenty of public debate, we finally have the moment many people in Charlotte County have been waiting for: It’s a done deal.

On Tuesday, September 8, the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the final detailed site plan for Buc-ee’s Travel Center on Harborview Road in Port Charlotte.

The county's official agenda identifies the action as DRC-25-161-Buc-ee’s and states that Kimley-Horn was requesting approval of the PD Final Detail Site Plan. The approved project is designed to allow the applicant to proceed with applications for building and construction permits. View the official Charlotte County project record.

So, yes. It’s a done deal. The proposed Buc-ee’s will be located at 25599 Harborview Road, within the Harborview Development of Regional Impact and near Interstate 75.

View 25599 Harborview Road on Google Maps

And this isn't going to be some little roadside convenience store.

The approved plan calls for approximately 28.34 acres and a 74,000-square-foot travel center, with 120 fueling stations and approximately 740 parking spaces, along with associated infrastructure. See the official site-plan details.

In other words: This is Buc-ee’s. And if you've ever been to one, you know exactly what that means. Huge. Busy. Fuel pumps seemingly stretching forever. Barbecue. Snacks. Merchandise. And, of course, those famous beaver souvenirs.

But getting to this point hasn't exactly been a Sunday drive.

The project has generated passionate opposition from some nearby residents, particularly over traffic, environmental issues, noise, diesel odors and the potential consequences of a fuel spill reaching the nearby Peace River.

During Tuesday's hearing, those concerns were once again voiced. One resident, Tim Price, told commissioners, “We cannot accept this environmental disaster.” Another resident expressed concern about the possibility of a fuel leak making its way toward the Peace River.

Those objections, however, did not stop the project. The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the final site plan.  

The Buc-ee’s property is part of the Harborview Development of Regional Impact, a large-scale development designation that exists because projects of this size can have significant effects on public infrastructure and services. Charlotte County maintains a dedicated Harborview page containing the development's orders, maps and other planning documents. View Charlotte County’s Harborview DRI page.

Transportation has been a major part of the discussion as well. Previous county and metropolitan planning documents have addressed traffic conditions, Harborview Road improvements and the infrastructure needed to accommodate the project. Review the Charlotte County-Punta Gorda MPO planning packet.

So what happens now? The county's answer is pretty straightforward. Permitting.

The final-detail-site-plan approval allows the applicant to move forward and submit for the building and construction permits necessary to actually build the facility. See the official Charlotte County approval record. 

Approval of the site plan is a major milestone, and the next phase is permitting and construction. For the people who have been asking:

“Is Buc-ee’s really coming?” The answer just became a whole lot easier. Yes.

So turn up the music, because the message from Charlotte County is pretty clear:

Ain’t no stopping us now.

It’s a done deal.

Sources and Useful Links

• Charlotte County — Official Buc-ee’s agenda item and final-site-plan record
• Charlotte County — Harborview Development of Regional Impact
• Google Maps — 25599 Harborview Road, Port Charlotte
• Gulf Coast News — Coverage of the unanimous approval
• Charlotte County-Punta Gorda MPO — Transportation planning documents