Citrus County planning commission pauses Holder Industrial Park expansion after hours of debate over water, noise and data‑center risks

The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission voted 4–3 on March 7 to continue consideration of a proposal to expand the Holder Industrial Park, sending the matter back for more study after hours of staff briefings, applicant comments and extended public testimony focused on water, noise and community impacts.

The proposal, submitted as a comprehensive‑plan amendment and sub‑area text change, would expand the Holder Industrial Park footprint to more than 1,300 acres and add a broader set of industrial uses the applicant says could include modern data centers. Commissioners and staff repeatedly pressed the applicant for specifics about end users, utility capacity and mitigation, and several residents urged denial rather than a temporary delay.

"These are not minor details," a commissioner said during closing remarks, listing missing studies on traffic, water, sewer and stormwater and saying the public had not had a fair opportunity to review new materials. Staff and the applicant both told the commission that some questions — including service capacity and concurrency — are typically addressed at permit review, but multiple…