Ormond Beach City Commission says no to providing utilities to proposed fuel facility

The Ormond Beach City Commission voted unanimously against providing utilities for a proposed fuel storage and distribution facility at 874 Hull Road on Wednesday night.

The facility is planned for unincorporated Volusia County near U.S. 1, an airport, homes, a recreational complex and businesses. Residents and local government officials are looking for ways to keep the project from being built there.

Belvedere Terminals is the developer, and the Florida East Coast Railway is the landowner. The site would receive fuel via trains and dispense them to trucks 24 hours a day. The facility would have the capacity to dispense over 357 million gallons of fuel a year, and over 36 million gallons of ethanol and other products.

Steven Spraker, Ormond Beach planning director, said in August that the fuel terminal property would have to be annexed into the city because it would be using city utilities. He also said that the city's regulations require the annexation.

But commissioners said that in addition to not providing utilities, they also won't approve any annexation request by Belvedere Terminals. City Attorney Randy Hayes said an application for annexation has not come in yet.

Hayes said that the city has "the discretion to deny utilities to the proposed project," according to a news release. "Exercising this discretion in favor of our community's safety and well-being is, in our view, the most prudent course of action. The City Commission demonstrated that, unwavering in the commitment to protecting Ormond Beach and its residents from potential harm."

Both the city of Ormond Beach and Volusia County government officials are in communication about the project, and the county and city have reached out for help from lawmakers and others to try and find another location for the project.

Belvedere Terminals Chief Operating Officer Mike Benedetto said in a prepared statement that the business would consider moving if government officials could find an alternative site that meets their needs.

Mayor Bill Partington said Wednesday's decision shows the city's "unwavering commitment" to protecting its residents.

"Our primary responsibility is to the people of Ormond Beach. ... While we appreciate the nuances of development, it should never overshadow the greater good of our residents," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Proposed Ormond Beach fuel farm denied utility services in city