Ormond Beach residents prepare for first moratorium hearing related to fuel facility

The first of a few hearings that could lead to big changes for a proposed fuel storage and distribution facility in Ormond Beach is scheduled for Thursday.

At issue is whether the county government will pause development on all land zoned heavy industrial in unincorporated Volusia County. That includes most of the site at 874 Hull Road, where Belvedere Terminals plans to build a fuel storage and distribution facility.

Residents and local government leaders have been trying to stop the project or find alternative locations. Volusia County residents have voiced concerns about dangers from potential explosions, fuel leaks and truck traffic, among other things. To date, no alternative plan has been announced.

The land, though it has an Ormond Beach address, is in unincorporated Volusia County and under the authority of the county government. The County Council voted in November to have county staff create an ordinance for consideration that would put a nine-month moratorium in place on development, with the option to extend it for another three months. That would allow the county to consider potential changes to the heavy industrial zoning category.

The county is not allowing the Belvedere Terminals project to move forward while a decision on the moratorium is pending.

"That was a huge sigh of relief for me, and I know, I'm sure, for many residents as well," said Elena Krafft, an Ormond Lakes resident.

Belvedere Terminals recently submitted a site plan, but the county did not accept it for processing.

Krafft, who is among the residents working to stop the project, said she hopes as many residents will be at Thursday's meeting as possible.

She said she and other residents want the county to remove the heavy industrial zoning designation from the area. Krafft said heavy industrial is not an appropriate use for that area, which is close to homes and a recreational complex.

"We're cautiously optimistic that they (the County Council) will do the right thing," she said.

Belvedere Terminals hasn't announced any plans to move their project. Fuel will be delivered to the site by trains and trucked from there to its final destination. The conceptual site plan shows six fuel tanks total, all 40 feet tall and ranging in diameter from 40-140 feet.

Initial plans for the project filed earlier through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which issued a permit for air quality purposes, called for 16 tanks ― six for fuels, all 40 feet in height ranging from 37-140 feet in diameter, plus 10 more tanks for additives and propane, ranging from 13.6-16 feet tall and 8-26 feet in diameter.

Unincorporated Volusia County has five parcels with the I-2 Heavy Industrial zoning classification, all of which are on Hull Road, according to the county. They cover about 74 acres combined.

The zoning category allows for a list of specific uses such as plastics manufacturers, fire stations and recycling collection centers, and some uses are allowed as a special exception. The zoning category also allows for “any industrial use or structure provided it meets the minimum environmental standards," which opened the door for the fuel facility proposal.

"Such language has not been reviewed or changed in many years and does not anticipate the evolution of the surrounding areas," according to the proposed ordinance.

Belvedere Terminals has expressed a willingness to consider alternative sites. But Belvedere Terminals Chief Operating Officer Mike Benedetto said in a prepared statement this month that "the alternatives considered to date are missing elements needed for this project."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia County development moratorium heads to planning board Thursday