Florida fuel farm: Volusia County Council clears way for Ormond Beach development
DELAND, Fla. - The Volusia County Council on Tuesday voted against an industrial development moratorium, which would’ve stalled the Ormond Beach fuel farm project for six to nine months.
The pause was turned down by a vote of 5-2, with councilors Jeff Brower and Troy Kent voting in favor of the pause. This latest development will allow the project leaders, Belvedere Terminals, to file their site plan and move forward with the next phase of the project.
The county currently faces a civil lawsuit from the company, claiming their rights have been infringed upon in this process. Brower said he believes the lawsuit impacted the final vote. "I think the fear of the lawsuit very much had something to do with it, and I think that’s a real shame," he said.
Councilor David Santiago said his opinion on the topic changed recently, and he decided to strike the moratorium down after looking into all options. "I think this is the best strategy to address everyone’s concerns," he said. "Based on what I have seen in totality, the site plan gives us the best position to be in the driver’s seat."
Over 30 people provided public comment, in which only a few favored the fuel farm project. Many of the public comments were aimed at the safety risks related to the storage and distribution of the fuel tanks. Councilors, including Don Dempsey, assured attendees that safety issues, if present, would be identified in the coming months.
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Volusia residents Catherine Pante and Arthur Armstrong were among those hopeful for a different outcome. They've been in attendance at several of the meetings over the course of the past few months. "This council - they’re supposed to represent the people. They have totally thrown our safety under the bus," Pante said.
Armstrong shared similar sentiments. "What we’ve heard today is hogwash. Absolute hogwash," he said. He added that he and his peers would continue to fight against the project despite this result.
Browner said the council will assess the details in the site plan, and the next stage of the process will take at least two months.