Already bruised by mounting opposition since it was announced almost two weeks ago, Palm Coast and Flagler County governments’ proposal to buy 78 acres for a 12.6-million gallon fuel farm off U.S. 1 took more fire today, this time at the County Commission, even though the county last week pulled the proposal from today’s agenda.
Numerous residents, all opposed to the fuel farm at the U.S. 1 location, addressed the commission, but commissioners themselves raised sharp questions about the plan, adding to its uncertain future.
Commissioner Leann Pennington questioned the location on safety grounds, with a potential fire closing U.S. 1 and requiring water suppression in amounts unavailable at that site. She cited as an example the 1993 fire at the Steuart Petroleum Company in Jacksonville, where a 4.5-million gallon tank of gasoline exploded, killing a security guard, and burned as 125 firefighters fought it for five days. They had the St. Johns River 1,000 feet away to draw water from. The Palm Coast site has no such resource, the city’s water treatment facility notwithstanding.
Commissioner Kim Carney didn’t see why the county had been asked to approve buying the land before Palm Coast was on board. “It sure would have been nice to have Palm Coast behind this before we actually move forward with spending the money,” Carney said.
The County Commission today was to consider approving a $10 million state Department of Commerce grant to the county, enabling it to buy the land for Belvedere Terminals, the start-up proposing to build the fuel farm. The county pulled the proposal at Palm Coast’s request after the City Council weathered acid opposition to the plan last week, especially from residents of Sawmill Branch, the subdivision immediately adjacent to the planned fuel farm.
The county pulled the item ostensibly to give Palm Coast–and Belvedere Terminals, if it were willing to look for alternatives–to analyze sites other than off Peavy Grade. Its current proposed location is right next to one of the city’s water treatment plants, near a pair of water wells, near a Florida Power and Light substation, and surrounding subdivisions, one of which was cleared for construction just last Tuesday.
Opponents, many wearing “DUMP THE FUEL FARM$” shirts, addressed commissioners for half an hour at this morning’s meeting, all calling for the commission and Palm Coast to reject the project at that location. There was less opposition to the concept, if it were placed elsewhere. “My hope is that the council ultimately rejects this project altogether, as city officials did in Ormond Beach not too long ago, and for similar reasons,” Angela Dawson said, opening the public-comment segment and citing fire hazards and the proximity to the water-treatment facility.
Residents encouraged the county and the city to press for an alternative site, and one, Ron Long, urged officials not to let the opportunity “slip by.” He appreciated the objections to the Palm Coast site, but suggested areas such as Favoretta, further south, along the railroad. “We’ve got plenty of line, plenty of area along that line that we can put this thing,” he said, “And I think it’s important that we take advantage of it. We need to diversify our tax base by any way possible.”
Several others cited Belvedere Terminal’s lack of a track record and the checkered safety record of Grupo Mexico, the company that owns the East Florida Railroad tracks on which Belvedere’s trains will run. A Belvedere official said the company would run about one 125-car train per week to the Palm Coast facility, unloading diesel and gas there. Residents also questioned the claims that the facility would be a huge tax benefit to the city and the county. “Projections of potential tax income to Palm Coast and Flagler County cannot be substantiated,” Vicky Haley said.
County Administrator Heidi Petito estimated that the facility could bring in $800,000 a year in property taxes to the county, the city and the schools. Petito said she took half the estimated financial investment planned for the facility, divided it by half, and applied the current tax rate to calculate the figure. (Petito estimated a $90 million investment.)
Property Appraiser Jay Gardner in an interview last week said the approach was conservative and reasonable, but cautioned that he and his staff have no reference point from which to make an estimate. But they are working on it, namely by studying other fuel farms’ tax values in the state.
“First and foremost, the majority of Palm Coast residents, including myself, are against this dangerous facility to be placed within our city,” a resident who identified herself as Narina, told the commission. “Just the thought that [a] fuel farm can be next to our homes, where our children play, our elders as well, fills us with outrage, fear and deep concern. We cannot accept this severe risk that this facility will pose to most vulnerable members of our community. Secondly, we urge county to prioritize our safety and our well being over financial gains. [To] value money above people is not only unacceptable, this is betrayal of a trust that we placed you as our representatives.” She then cited the poor safety record of Grupo Mexico.
A Sawmill Branch resident warned of the effects of wildfire on the area, if firefighters had to contend with a fuel farm in the equation. “In fact, where I live now has scars from those wildfires, and now you want to build a fuel farm in the very same area,” she said. “If you could not put the [wild]fires out, then how would you put them out tomorrow, with millions of gallons of fuel added to the situation? I was wondering if perhaps God had allowed those terrible fires in 1998 so they would be a reminder to our government leaders of today of all that can go wrong that is outside of anyone’s control.”
So it went. Yet more people spoke against the proposal at the tail end of the meeting, past noon. In a text, Pennington wrote: “While I welcome much needed revenue from industry and jobs in Flagler County, I cannot support industry that we are not equipped to handle, placed on land, that if a catastrophe took place, would not have sufficient water sources nearby to fight it and could impact residents and major roadways in our county.”
Justbob says
Overall a heartening few days seeing both pushbacks against Donald’s Fourth Reich and the local fuel tank fiasco. Us old timers from the 1960’s days of protests are doing the happy dance, albeit with our canes and walkers.
Jay Tomm says
The 2 bordering counties rejected this. WHY the county admin would think this was a good idea is beyond stupid!
I could sell her a monorail too I guess LOL
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
So now Belvedere is suggesting a different Flagler County location farther south, endangering even more homes in and businesses in south Flagler and northern Volusia. They will keep pushing for one location after another till they get a yes — and that should happen when pigs fly. Flagler is not a large county, but its exposure to water contamination and wildfires is great. Palm Coast is short on water, and the quality is already poor. Hundreds of PC homes are built on 46 miles of freshwater canals and 23 miles of saltwater canals. The water is sourced from underground aquifers (per information from St. Johns River Water Management District), making it highly susceptible to the devastating toxins contained in fuel seepage. Even gas-powered watercraft are not allowed in PC’s freshwater canals. Belvedere expects our county to roll over and give away our environment for their measly $800K per year in tax revenue? No! Not at any price! As for western Flagler, they can forget about that, too. Lake Disson is an unspoiled, environmentally sensitive lake and woodland area teeming with fish and wildlife. Its water quality is ranked “excellent” by the state division of the EPA. We will not do business with Belvedere or its founder/CEO Edwin Cothron, who is no stranger to criminal or financial issues. According to court records, Cothron’s track record includes two bankruptcies and a conviction for bribing a public official. Learn more about his questionable past here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EdgewaterEnvironmental/posts/1492370601330265/.
Just imagine a bankruptcy #3, in which Flagler County taxpayers would be on the hook for the removal of those tank monstrosities and their toxic contents. There isn’t one logical reason why this deal should be approved, and what a disgrace the Palm Coast and Flagler County officials are who were naive enough to support it like it was the Second Coming. Volusia County is more than twice the size of Flagler and has ample open land at its southern end. Belvedere, we suggest you try another target because our county commissioners are not easily fooled by snake oil salesmen. The next East Palestine will not be happening here. Move on.
Angry in Palm Coast says
The sneaky underhanded agreements made long before the public got wind of this is inexcusable.
Every single one of you who were in on this little $$$ plan should not expect a re election. Our city and our county have finally woken up to the behind the scenes deals that go on, most of which only benefit a few bank accounts, and most of which does not take the residents health and safety into account.
JimboXYZ says
The potential for wild fires, the fuel near the sewage treatment facility/water supply. Guess that’s the negative perspective, but then again we have Hawaii & Los Angeles/San Diego fires as reality that one simply can’t discount the potential & ignore. Eventually those fires got put out, but let’s face it, LA/SD fires, the water reservoirs were empty/off line. Those reasons make more sense than ever. Spending $ 512 million for the Sewage Treatment Facilities just seems counter to putting a toxic fuel depot next to 1/3 of that water system. Any politician approving this fuel depot, should not get political immunity, criminal or civil, for their decision.vote to approve such a fuel depot, not when it’s laid out as a public warning like it has been.
Why wouldn’t they suggest locating it in the middle of the Westward of US-1 expansion(s) for residential for Bunnell & Palm Coast ? And the end run to get county approval without individual city approvals just stinks of the typical cramming of the the concept down everyone’s throats. This should not be like the Alfin & other residential approvals where any potential slow downs involves constant threats of litigation over profits on something that hasn’t been built or sold to be occupied. It was ridiculous that any developer perceived rezone and approval as a less than cooperative growth plan where city/county & developers work with one another for a plan to grow responsibility. Still shaking my head a the thought of Bunnell growing 7-8X what the population of Bunnell has ever been in the last +/-100 years of an existence.
Crisco kid says
We need to put an end to this FCBOCC mindset for decades thinking
that they have the power to put all kinds of trash agendas without
PROPER PUBLIC NOTICE, PROPER PUBLIC INPUT and PROPER
PUBLIC ADDRESS in our backyards. Petito initially spoke of this
as a done deal, SHAME ON HER SHE NEEDS TO BE FIRED! STOP
WITH THE A EVALUATIONS FOR HER, She has no sympathy or
consideration of the residents of this county. As for Carney’s statement
she is SPOT ON, this FCBOCC needs to STOP acting as if they are the
only ones that can make these PRESUMPTUOUS DISASTROUS ANAL
BODY PART decisions, THANKS TO PENNINGTON AND RON LONG
PLEASE DON’T RUN FOR ANYTHING IN THIS CITY/COUNTY WE DON’T
WANT NOR NEED ANYMORE CRONYISM!
Jane Gentile-Youd says
NO NO NO to any fuel farms in Fagler County anywhere – in perpetuity,
This should not be allowed to be allowed under any conditions whatsoever.
Any Palm Coast or Flagler County Official who supports this industry in any form in our rapidly declining quality of life should be removed from office forthwith.
Joan says
Where do the Flagler County Commissioners/Heidi Petito have the right to to purchase land to build these terminals without the vote of WE THE PEOPLE’s APPROVAL. The commissioners are voted into office by the tax payers of Flagler County, WHO are suppose to represent WE THE PEOPLE not themselves! Government Grants are a NOOSE around WE THE PEOPLES NECKS. That gives the federal government the right to dictate to our elected officials .Look up ICLEI.
WE ALL MUST FIGHT THIS….