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 away from neighborhoods. Angela Dawson, who said she lives in the Sawmill community, told the council: "It's not worth the risk of a single life," citing worries about leaks, fires and odors near homes and schools. Anna Jones, another longtime resident, raised air-quality concerns and cited local flight training operations, saying neighborhood residents already experience heavy overflights and lead emissions and that the terminal would add environmental stress.

Other speakers asked the city to require stronger emergency-training and coordination commitments from the company before any agreement, and to secure written plans for foam disposal, HAZMAT response and regular commodity-flow studies covering rail and road impacts. Georgeann Miller, who spoke in favor of economic development but urged precautions, requested that the company include local fire and police in training and provide a periodic commodity-flow study and environmental disposal procedures.

Council members acknowledged the public concern and the limited authority of the city on some elements of the project. Vice Mayor Panieri said she was seeking a site-selection analysis and "a study done and see if there is another area" that would be more appropriate; she asked for council consensus to have staff investigate cost and feasibility. Mayor Michael Norris noted the project had been presented as a state strategic asset and that the facility could improve the region's fuel resilience in an emergency, but he also said new industrial proposals must be examined carefully.

City Manager and staff said the county is pursuing a $10,000,000 pass-through grant tied to the project; the Flagler County administrator provided a timeline that showed the grant expires June 30, 2026 and, once a county grant agreement is signed, there are 180 days to close. Council members asked staff to check whether a portion of the grant could be used to fund a site-selection study and to report back with pricing and options.

Council members also discussed regulatory and procedural limits: several members said the airport and FAA preempt local control over aircraft operations and that any noise concerns could be pursued through a Part 13 proceeding under federal rules to ask the county airport and FAA to negotiate on flight practices; others emphasized that the county owns some sites and that industrial zoning predates recent residential approvals. Council members repeatedly said they had not taken any vote on the Belvedere proposal and that additional research and community engagement are needed.

What comes next: The council directed staff to explore the cost and scope of a site-selection analysis and return with options, including whether Belvedere would pay for a study. Staff also flagged the county timeline for the grant; the county must complete the grant and associated approvals before the June 30, 2026 expiration. No formal city approval, zoning change or environmental permit was granted or denied at the April 1 meeting.

Ending: The matter remains open. The council's request for a site-selection study creates a formal next step rather than an immediate decision; residents, county officials and Belvedere representatives may expect additional briefings and a staff report before any formal land-use or permitting decision comes before the council.