Commission expected to act on Buc-ee’s preliminary plat

Ruston’s Planning and Zoning Commission is poised to consider a preliminary plat of the Buc-ee’s Travel Center development when the commission meets Aug. 19.

Buc-ee’s is expected to ask that an approximately 80- acre site located on the northwest corner of the intersection of I- 20 and Tarbutton Road be divided into three parcels, one of which is the actual store location and the other two for future development, city officials confirmed Monday.

Though Buc-ee’s is the applicant on the notice of public hearing for the request, the company doesn’t yet own the property. According to the application, the site is owned by Donald Lee Robins and Graham Properties, LLC.

Buc-ee’s has reportedly had the property under contract for some time.

A preliminary plat is required before the property can be sold. Seeking plat approval “is just a step in the process of any type real estate development,” Ruston City Attorney Bill Carter said.

Planning and Zoning’s responsibility is to ensure the proposed development meets the city’s subdivision code.

The commission can only make recommendations, meaning its decision regarding the application goes to the Board of Aldermen for final action.

As things stand now, that would happen in September, Mayor Ronny Walker said.

Meantime, work continues on the various road projects related to the travel center. Engineers met last week to review plans for changes that need to be made to Tarbutton Road and for roads that will eventually be constructed on the Buc-ee’s property.

Buc-ee’s announced in January 2023 it planned to build a 53,000- square- foot travel center here. The Ruston store, expected to open in 2025, will be the Texas-based corporation’s first Louisiana store.

Buc-ee’s has since announced a second Louisiana location in Lafayette.