ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — A fuel company is pressing forward with the development of a fuel storage site just outside of Ormond Beach city limits, despite an upwelling of pushback from community members.
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Belvedere Terminals Chief Financial Officer Tim Schwarz said progress will continue to construct three terminals on Hull Road near the railroad tracks, a far smaller project than permits allow the company to build.
“The fear that people have is not founded in the reality of what we’re building,” Schwarz said.
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Until last month, progress on the project moved swiftly. The land, sandwiched between an asphalt plant and a freight rail line, was zoned for heavy industrial. The closest homes were at least a half mile away. Schwarz said the project had the blessing of Volusia County and Ormond Beach, which helped them determine what steps were needed.
The roadblock came in September, when residents, led by Robin Magleora, began protesting the project. Magleora said the site was still too close to homes and put the community at risk.
“We need fuel, it makes our world go round,” she explained. “The issue is where the company plans to install these terminals.”
Ormond Beach leaders then turned against the project, despite it being located outside their jurisdiction.
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“Just makes no sense to have it there,” Mayor Bill Pierce said.
Belvedere leaders said they were open to exploring alternate sites in the area, but Schwarz said so far, Ormond Beach has been unable to produce any.
The company has invested millions of dollars into the current site, making a potential relocation costly.
Schwarz said the site would store 300,000 barrels of fuel and numerous safety measures were being built into the company’s plan. Despite permits allowing for ten times that amount, he said the company did not have any plans to expand.
“What we’re building and designing to build right now is what we think is the right size for Ormond today and tomorrow,” he said.
The facility will employ as many as 30 people, with most salaries ranging from $70,000 to $100,000, Schwarz said. He did not offer a construction timeline.
He added that executives understood the community’s concerns, and they are still listening to any issues that are brought to their desks.
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