Buc-ee's is coming to NC, but critics remain vocal about mega-center's impact
Buc-ee's has already received the green light to build one of the world's largest gas stations on 32 acres at Exit 152, off Interstates 85/40 in Mebane.
But the project's opponents in this small but growing blue-collar town refuse to back down.
The Indigenous-led 7 Directions of Service, in partnership with North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN), have released a report, renewing health, air and water concerns against the 120-pump gas station planned for a largely vacant stretch of Trollinger-Hawfields Road in Alamance County. It's about 50 miles west of downtown Raleigh and 130 miles north of uptown Charlotte.
'Mega gas stations like Buc-ee's are not just roadside stops — they are sources of toxic pollution,' Rania Masri, NCEJN's co-director, said on Tuesday outside Mebane City Hall, in a press conference livestreamed on the groups' Instagram pages.
The approved store will be less than half the size of Mebane's Walmart Supercenter.
Among the report's charges: that the mega gas station would consume an estimated 23,000 gallons of water daily, sit across from a mobile home community, and store fuel in quantities that pose risks to drinking water if leaks occur.
'We do not need more toxic infrastructure,' Masri said. 'We need more clean water, breathable air, and communities where health and dignity are non-negotiable.'
The report also highlights the project's potential harm to historic Native American trading paths that served the Catawba, Occaneechi and Waxhaw. 7 Directions has collected over 1,600 signatures on a petition against the project and rallied speakers to attend public hearings.. It's working to map the path and document its history to fight against Buc-ee's.
'It's a disgrace that the city would allow this piece of historic landscape to be bulldozed over,' said Crystal Cavalier, its cofounder, at the conference.
Buc-ee's officials were unavailable for comment.
In January 2024, the Mebane City Council unanimously voted to approve the project and rezone the site. On Tuesday, the city provided a video link to the meeting and stood by its decision.
'Mebane citizens and the general public presented statements and evidence as required by North Carolina General Statutes and Mebane Unified Development Ordinance,' Mebane spokeswoman Kelly Hunter said in a statement.
This was Texas-based Buc-ee's second attempt to make a foray into North Carolina. The first was about eight miles east in Orange County, where the project was roundly dissed before Buc-ee's withdrew its application.
Buc-ee's has a cult following, thanks in part to its Beaver Nuggets, housemade brisket and barbecue. But opponents say the benefits won't outweigh the negative impact to traffic, the environment and town character.
Many of those who opposed the planned Buc-ee's in Orange County also fought the plan for Alamance County.
Buc-ee's will have a 74,000-square-foot convenience store, 120 gas pumps (60 fueling stations) and 652 parking spaces, including 24 electric vehicle charging stations.
Neighboring tenants include two UPS facilities, a copper mill, and Lidl, Walmart and Amazon distribution centers.
The travel center said it will hire at least 225 full-time workers, pay annual property taxes of $120,300 to the city and county, and bring in about $1.8 million in sales tax revenue.
The company is not getting any city or county economic development incentives.
Buc-ee's could add up to 1,500 more trips each hour at peak times, and nearly 2,300 trips at peak hours on Saturdays.
Buc-ee's does not serve tractor-trailer trucks.
City staff expect Buc-ee's to use 23,000 gallons of water a day, compared to 2.1 million gallons a day for existing Mebane customers.
Buc-ee's has submitted detailed plans to the city and to the N.C. Department of Transportation, which remain under review, said Ashley Ownbey, Mebane's development director. Construction could start once the developer gets building permits.
'We have a few more comments for them to address,' she said in a phone call Tuesday. 'I imagine they'll be able to turn those around quickly.'
Road improvements also are needed before the store opens, including more travel and turn lanes on Trollingwood-Hawfields Road and the Interstates 85/40 on-and off-ramps, new stoplights and a wider bridge over the interstate.
The N.C. Department of Transportation started work on the $38.7 million project this spring, with Buc-ee's picking up $10 million of the cost. The work could take up to two years, but shutdowns and detours are not expected, NCDOT officials have said.
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