Palm Coast council asks staff to study alternative sites after residents protest proposed Belvedere fuel terminal

The Palm Coast City Council on April 1 directed staff to study potential alternative sites for a proposed Belvedere fuel storage terminal and to return with a cost estimate for a site-selection analysis, after hours of public comment that urged the city to reject the project near U.S. 1.

The council did not vote to approve or deny the project. Vice Mayor Panieri asked the council for consensus to pursue a site-selection study; the mayor and council members agreed that staff should investigate costs and options and report back. The Flagler County administrator later provided a timeline showing a county grant tied to the project expires June 30, 2026.

Why it matters: Residents said the proposed terminal, which would store fuel near properties recently converted to residential use, poses acute risks for water contamination, air quality and emergency response needs, while supporters and some council members said the facility could bolster fuel resilience in emergencies and expand the local tax base.

Residents and neighbors who spoke at the meeting urged the council to block the project or move it…