Ormond Beach-area residents and their allies packed the Nov. 21 meeting of the Volusia County Council to demand the governing body stop any movement to develop a fuel-storage and shipment facility adjacent to neighborhoods.
Having arrived by buses, the crowd showed up to speak on the controversial plan by Belvedere Terminals to build the fuel farm on a railroad-frontage parcel at 874 Hull Road.
The land is zoned for heavy industrial uses and situated within the unincorporated area of the county.
In addition to those who attended in person, more people watched the meeting in an overflow area on the first floor of the Thomas C. Kelly County Administration Center, after so many people attended the meeting that the county fire marshal refused to allow the latecomers to go into the chambers.
Although the item was not on the County Council’s agenda, and even though county planners have not received a formal application from the company, the council set aside its order of business for more than an hour and allowed the public to voice their opposition.
The council subsequently agreed to impose a moratorium on applications and planning for any development on all property zoned for heavy-industrial activities within the unincorporated portions of the county.
The moratorium, or freeze, on development in the county’s I-2 zones will be in effect for nine months, during which time county officials will review development regulations pertaining to the use of such properties.
https://barkersview.org/2023/11/30/angels-assholes-for-december-1-2023/?fbclid=IwAR0kFzZU7xWV4mKhZlZjJj3IHhve4Mo7N3Gf0HM8KQV-uU3KYmaGkOJI8XU
Some different thoughts on the Fuel Terminal issues…
Mark Barker explained the issues of the Fuel Terminal better than I could have and he highlighted the failings of the County’s leadership well. However, I feel there are some things that are being missed by many.
The property at 874 Hull Rd. in Ormond has been owned by the Florida East Coast RailRoad since 2005 when it was purchased for $100,999.00 and the zoning was changed in 2006 to allow for the heavy industrial uses that would allow for a fuel terminal to be placed on the property. Like it or not, the property owners have the right to use their property as has been provided for in the land use codes, just the same way the rest of us do for the properties we may own here. Many are trying to refocus the controversy on the landowner and the fuel terminal developer but is that really where the focus should be or should it be on our County Governments failures?
At the October 3rd meeting of the County Council, Council Member Danny Robins made a motion to have the processes, pertaining to the Hull Road property, go as the Council had already agreed and to address concerns pertaining to the fuel farm during the Council comment portion of the meeting. The motion was given a second by David Santiago. A discussion took place and after the discussion the motion was approved 6 to 1 with Chair Brower voting against the motion.
I question if the County Council acted appropriately at the November 21st meeting when members, minus Danny Robins and Don Dempsey who were absent, voted in favor of a moratorium for the heavy industrial zoning without having the item on the agenda, without having it noticed, and without following the procedures previously voted on. And I wonder if the courts will find when the moratorium was put in place the property owner of the Hull Road property disenfranchised and does it open the County up even more for lawsuits? In a court of law couldn’t it be easily proven that this is a targeted action against one property owner and one corporation?
On other issues of importance the County Council has decided to wait until all members of the County Council were present, why not this one? Why were those who are represented by Don Dempsey and Danny Robins disenfranchised in a decision that may affect the citizens they represent?
Members of our County Council are often heard talking about the importance of following PROCESS, I think the idea of PROCESS went flying out the door at the November 21st meeting and I see that as a problem.
Some have said there should not be a fuel farm anywhere in Volusia County, oddly I heard it from people who are relatively new to the area. If not here where? And don’t they realize when the population is increased, by them and others moving here, the need for additional services increased and I would bet most of those people attending the County Council meetings in protest of the fuel terminal did not arrive in electric cars or on bicycles. I also heard one of the people who were protesting the fuel terminal ask why the County didn’t change the zoning of the Hull Road property as residential developments were encroaching on the area. Perhaps the question should be, do the people who moved to the area since 2006 not have themselves to blame for moving so close to an area zoned for heavy industrial activities such as a fuel terminal? How is it ok to disenfranchise a property owner of heavy industrial zoned property because people decided to buy property and build homes close to their property? It is easy to point fingers and villainize others but where does the blame really lie?
Fun Facts, these are the people who were on the County Council in 2006 when the land use changes were made for the property located at 874 Hull Rd in Ormond;
January 2006
Frank T. Bruno Jr., ELECTED CHAIR – Term expires 12/31/08
Andy Kelly, Dist. 1 – Term expires 12/31/10
Art E. Giles, Dist. 2 – Term expires 12/31/08
Jack H. Hayman, Dist. 3 – Term expires 12/31/10
Carl G. Persis, Dist.#4 – Term expires 12/31/08 <<<<<<
Bill Long, Dist. 5 – Term expires 12/31/06
Joie Alexander, At-Large (Vice Chair) – Term expires 12/31/10