Exit 42 Travel Center

Glynn County / Travel Center

The world’s largest convenience store

Buc-ee’s is a popular travel center chain, an all-in-one rest stop along the highway known for “clean bathrooms” and many fuel pumps. In 2021, the company came to Glynn County with a proposal to build the World’s Largest Convenience Store.

The initial phase of the project was approved by Glynn County Planning and Zoning in 2022, despite concerns about how the increased traffic, 24-hour lighting, and infrastructure (including acres of impervious surfaces) would impact the surrounding neighborhoods, businesses, and environment. The second phase, which involves the actual filling of 2.55 acres of wetlands and laying down 2.36 football fields of concrete, is currently under review by the US Army Corps of Engineers and open for public comment.

We must consider whether we want this area to remain a Gateway to coastal history and nature—or allow a take-over from a developer solely interested in achieving a new world record for concrete and gas stations.

Tell the USACE to reject the current Buc-ee’s proposal so we have time to comprehensively assess this project.

Comment by April 17

Paving paradise

Local officials have recognized that the land around Exit 42 “should not be industrialized,” but the lure of pennies from gas sales seems to be worth the sacrifice. We don’t think Buc-ee’s is the worst—but is it the best for Glynn County?

We must honestly assess this project. Could there be a better site for Buc-ee’s, one that benefits the surrounding communities instead of destroying what makes them iconic? What are we losing by filling this gateway area with concrete, gas tanks, and Beaver Nuggets?

Exit 42: A gateway to nature, history, & culture

The 2018 Glynn County Comprehensive Plan recognizes the land around the Exit 42 as a Community Gateway character area, contributing to Glynn County’s iconic natural appearance and environmental atmosphere.

This area is a gateway to our past, by which travelers and descendants access the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Butler Island Plantation, the historic Altamaha Canal, Hofwyl-Broadfield State Historic Site, and numerous ancestral African American cemeteries.

This site is part of Georgia’s SWAP wildlife conservation corridor, connecting wildlife to important pathways and ecosystems statewide. It also features the Altamaha River Corridor and Altamaha and Altama Wildlife Management Areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What‘s so bad about Buc-ee’s?

We’re not saying that Buc-ee’s is “bad.” Taking care of and providing services for the many travelers who pass through Glynn County is a good thing!

Instead, we are calling into question whether filling wetlands, burying giant gas tanks near fragile river ecosystems, disrupting wildlife and historical sites, and irrevocably altering the living dynamics of nearby neighborhoods is the right thing to do.

We are asking for time, honest questions, and accurate, comprehensive assessments so that everyone knows the full measure of Buc-ee’s impact—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

How much do we actually know about this project’s impact?

The simple answer: not much. While Buc-ee’s and local developers benefiting from the project have included a few numbers in their proposal and rhetoric, no comprehensive economic, environmental, or traffic assessments have been conducted.

The October 7, 2021 Development of Regional Impact (DRI #34713) developed for this project states, “The ARSA {Area Requiring Special Attention} map indicates that the project site is designated as an Area of Significant Natural Resources. This designation is defined as where Regionally Important Resources (green infrastructure, groundwater recharge areas, wetlands, priority forests, floodplains, and conservation areas) are likely to be threatened by development” (emphasis added).

You’ll also notice on the DRI that there are quite a few “TBD”s on how to mitigate those threats.

What other location options are there?

It’s not too late to consider alternative sites for this project. There is undeveloped land southwest of Exit 42 that could be a good alternative (northwest, there is the Altama Plantation and wildlife management areas to contend with). Buc-ee’s could also consider moving their site north along I-95 to McIntosh County’s Darien exit, where there already exists some infrastructure, buildings, etc. to accommodate such a project.

What would the environmental impact of Buc-ee’s moving in really look like?

Unfortunately, we don’t currently know the exact impact of this project because a comprehensive environmental and economic assessment has not been conducted and released. (That’s one of the main reasons we’re asking the USACE to reject the project: to give us time to make these assessments!)

We do know that there are countless species that rely on this area as a wildlife corridor, including endangered birds and migratory animals. The 24-hour lighting from the Buc-ee’s site would disrupt natural rhythms for nighttime animals and insects.

This area is also surrounded by wetlands and drains into the Brunswick Altamaha canal (as stated in the permit application). This is a big problem, as the proposed road design has the gas station drainage pipes from their on-site retention ponds leading into the off-site wetlands on the east side of their proposed road.

Why are some people worried about the Altamaha Canal?

While the Historic Brunswick Altamaha Canal does not directly abut the parcel of land in the proposal, Buc-ee’s proposal to the US Army Corps of Engineers states that the aquatic resources located on-site will empty into the canal. This means any stormwater run-off from the gas stations, service buildings, roads, and parking lots will drain directly into the canal.

What kind of traffic increase might we expect around Exit 42?

Apart from the projected 20,000 cars a day, it was shared in a January 2023 Glynn County Commission meeting that RVs are “very very important to Buc-ee’s” and “part of their business model.”

While there is nothing wrong with traveling via RV, the infrastructure required to support thousands of RVs moving in and out will likely stretch beyond the Buc-ee’s site, increasing the overall environmental and infrastructural impact of this project. The two accompanying RV sites have the potential to bring in 800-1000 RVs daily.

Again, no full traffic assessment has yet been released to the public for this specific site.

What can I do to help?

We’re asking you to voice your concerns about bringing Buc-ee’s to Exit 42. Forward emails. Share posts. Bring it up in conversation. We don’t need to hate on Buc-ee’s to honestly question whether this is the best location for such an establishment.

We’re also asking that you send comments to the USACE by April 17, asking them to reject the current proposal.