Neighbors pursue administrative challenge to Circle K permit over flooding and water‑quality concerns

Neighbors of a proposed Circle K convenience store and fuel station updated the Ormond Beach City Commission on an administrative challenge to the project’s environmental permit, saying they presented their case to a state administrative judge and are awaiting a ruling.

Amber Bobak, a nearby resident, told the commission she formally appealed the Environmental Resource Permit issued by the St. Johns River Water Management District. Bobak said her concerns at the administrative hearing included increased stormwater runoff and water quantity, the effect of new impervious surfaces on a stormwater system that already struggles in heavy rain and hurricane events, and risks to water quality because stormwater from the site would pass through neighborhood ponds on its way to the Halifax River.

“Those ponds are already nutrient loaded and stressed,” Bobak said, adding she was worried that fuel and metal runoff could worsen conditions in the water bodies that residents use for fishing and recreation. She also raised concerns about construction‑period dewatering, saying the applicant had admitted it would likely need to pump groundwater during construction and that could destabilize the site and affect neighboring properties.

Bobak said she expects a decision from the administrative judge in about 30 days. The commission did not take formal action; staff and commissioners did not offer a vote but were briefed on the status of the case during the public comment portion of the meeting.

The project remains subject to state permitting processes; any final local land‑use approvals would still require review of outstanding state determinations and applicable city regulations. Residents said they would continue to pursue appeals and monitor any additional permitting steps.