Belvedere Terminals has encountered opposition in other areas of the state outside Jacksonville. This sign was posted in Ormond Beach. | Molly Duerig, WMFE News
Published on February 23, 2024 at 4:47 pm
A company that had its sights on 101 acres off Garden Road in the Dinsmore neighborhood for a fuel farm may decide to build its storage hub elsewhere.
At a Land Use and Zoning Committee meeting this week, City Councilman Rahman Johnson said Belvedere Terminals seems to have found another potential site.
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“We’ve had, over the time of this committee’s meeting, literally hundreds of people email, call, show up in red shirts and speak,” said Johnson, whose district is adjacent to the Garden Street property. “I’m happy to say that this project will no longer go on Garden Street.”
However, in a statement Friday afternoon, the company stopped short of ruling out the northwest Jacksonville property.
Mike Benedetto, chief operating officer of Belvedere Terminals, said the company is exploring alternative sites, but he said a solid decision has not been made.
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“Belvedere is working to secure an appropriate Jacksonville site for its state-of-the-art system to better meet Florida’s growing demand for fuel in a safer, cleaner and more reliable manner, guarding against disruptions in our energy supply chain,” Benedetto said in an email.
“While we have not ruled out the Garden Street location, we continue to listen to the community, the city and district councilman for this area, and explore alternative sites in the area. This process requires careful analysis and diligence, and we are confident that we are getting closer to a final decision.”
The original plan for property off Garden Street, between Paxton Road and Imeson Road, called for 14 aboveground fuel storage tanks, new railway construction and truck loading bays to transport various types of fuel across Florida.
The Dinsmore area is one of three Florida sites that St. Petersburg-based Belvedere was considering for a fuel hub for shipping fuels like gasoline, diesel and propane across the state. The company aims to make fuel shipping across Florida more resilient against interruptions.
Belvedere has said it intends to invest up to $1.25 billion over the next five years in the southeastern U.S., with $750 million in Florida. About $100 million of investment was slated to get poured into a Jacksonville location. Several of those locations have seen tremendous opposition from nearby residents.
Johnson said Belvedere has found a different site to build on. He said he had been in contact with attorney Jason Gabriel, a former general counsel for the city of Jacksonville who now works in private practice and represents landowners of the Garden Street property, Edward and Rima Elias. Johnson said he was assured the company is no longer considering the Dinsmore area.
According to Johnson, Belvedere has found a different site in a more industrialized area near Interstate 10 that is already zoned properly and is more “sustainable for what they are trying to do.”
The landowner had sought a rezoning for the property in the largely residential area just south of Callahan. Residents opposed to Belvedere’s plans for the site had come out in force to Planning Commission meetings, land use and zoning committee meetings and City Council meetings — often donning red shirts — and voicing their concerns about potential safety, traffic and quality of life issues they felt could affect the neighborhood.
The legislation that would pave the way for the Garden Street property was deferred this week to next month’s zoning committee meeting, on March 19. Johnson said the deferral is allowing the developer time to weigh options.
It remained unclear Thursday where Belvedere sought an alternative project site, but Dinsmore resident David Taylor said he hopes for a positive outcome.
“It’s been very civil, though the process has been aggravating” Taylor said in a phone call Thursday.
Lead image: Belvedere Terminals has encountered opposition in other areas of the state outside Jacksonville. This sign was posted in Ormond Beach. | Molly Duerig, WMFE News
