Stafford Supervisors Take Final Vote on Buc-ee’s Project Near I-95

STAFFORD, VA — Stafford County supervisors voted 5-2 early Tuesday to approve a controversial Buc-ee’s travel center near Interstate 95, advancing a project supporters said would generate millions in tax revenue while opponents warned it could worsen congestion around Austin Ridge Drive and Courthouse Road.

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved the rezoning and related permits shortly after midnight following hours of public comment and board debate over traffic impacts, infrastructure and economic development.

The proposed Buc-ee’s would include a 74,000-square-foot travel center with 120 fuel pumps near Exit 140. The board’s approval follows earlier action by the Stafford County Planning Commission and continues the project’s path toward construction, pending additional transportation review and approvals.

Board Chairman Deuntay Diggs (D-George Washington) praised residents for largely maintaining civility during the contentious hearing.

“What I'm most proud of is how you all conducted yourselves this evening,” Diggs said, noting supporters and opponents sat together respectfully despite strong disagreements.

RELATED: Buc-ee's Project Advances To Stafford Co. Board For Final Approval

The board’s final vote came after a failed motion by Supervisor Maya Guy (D-Aquia) to deny the application. Guy argued the project was incompatible with surrounding development patterns and said unresolved transportation concerns remained.

“This Buc-ee’s use is different than other uses in the area,” Guy said. “It’s much larger in size scale, and it is a 24-hour, 365-day operation.”

Guy also said she remained concerned that some transportation impacts had not yet been fully mitigated and warned the county could eventually bear additional infrastructure costs.

Supervisors Crystal Vanuch (R-Rock Hill) and Tinesha Allen (D-Griffis-Widewater) raised questions about traffic circulation, fuel tax revenue and transportation funding during the discussion. Allen emphasized the county’s reliance on gas tax revenue for transportation projects and budget planning.

“I've sat on this board for seven years, and from day one, I've been advocating for generating revenue and generating businesses,” Allen said, before voting in favor of the project.

Allen tied the project to the county’s recent budget challenges, including service cuts and employee raises that struggled to keep pace with inflation.

“Unfortunately, for years, development never paid for itself,” Allen said. “Now when we have opportunities to bridge that gap, we have to take it.”

County Commissioner of the Revenue Scott Mayausky told supervisors Buc-ee’s could become one of Stafford’s largest taxpayers. He estimated the project could generate about $1.9 million annually in local tax revenue, excluding fuel taxes, and potentially closer to $3 million once operational.

“It would make them the fourth largest taxpayer in Stafford County,” Mayausky said.

Supporters also argued the project would fund road improvements tied to a required Operational and Safety Analysis Report, or OSAR, process involving the Virginia Department of Transportation and federal agencies.

County Attorney Cyndi McClendon said the applicant would not be allowed to move forward with final construction approvals until required transportation improvements identified through that process were addressed.

Buc-ee’s representatives defended the project’s scale, particularly the 120 fuel pumps that became a focal point during the hearing.

Scott Radcliffe, speaking for the applicant team, said the large number of pumps was intended to reduce backups and improve traffic flow within the site.

“If you decrease one, you increase problems in other places,” Radcliffe said.

Company officials also rejected claims that Buc-ee’s locations reduce nearby property values. Stan Beard, Buc-ee’s director of real estate development, said the company had not seen evidence of declining home prices near other stores.

The meeting stretched past midnight, prompting supervisors to vote unanimously to continue the hearing beyond the board’s normal cutoff time. The county’s livestream briefly failed shortly before the final vote, leading to a short recess before supervisors reconvened and approved the project 5-2.