Florida company behind proposed fuel tank farm suing Volusia County
ORLANDO, Fla. - As the Volusia County Council is debating implementing a development moratorium for areas zoned for heavy industry, a Florida-based company behind a proposed fuel farm has filed a lawsuit against the county.
Belvedere Terminals, which is headquartered in St. Petersburg, wants to build an above-ground fuel tank farm and loading bays for trucks and train cars near a wooded area off Hull Road in Volusia County. According to the company, three 40-foot fuel tanks would store about 300,000 barrels' worth of gasoline and diesel on-site. The plan is to send the fuel there to refineries on the Gulf Coast.
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In the lawsuit, the company cites that the property set aside for the fuel farm was rezoned nearly two decades ago for heavy industrial use and that during a 2022 pre-application hearing, Volusia County said only a technical review would be necessary to proceed. Belvedere now alleges that the county is violating its property and constitutionally protected rights, according to the lawsuit.
The company said it has two other initial sites planned for Jacksonville and Ft. Pierce, with seven additional locations to be developed in the state over the next five years. Belvedere said the project would help improve Florida's fuel supply chain and make gas more accessible during hurricanes. It had hoped to have the terminal operational by mid-2025.
The Volusia County Council will once again take up the moratorium on Feb. 6.