JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The developer of a proposed 101-acre fuel farm in Dinsmore says it is looking at other locations, while still considering the current proposed site near the corner of Imeson Road and Garden Street.
"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," Belvedere Terminals CEO, Mike Benedetto, said in a statement to First Coast News.
David Tyrrell and Robert Riley live down the street from the proposed site and say it's dangerous.
“The blast zone goes for 2 miles all the way to Dinsmore Elementary School," Riley said.
“That’s only .74 of a mile from here," Tyrrell said.
Tyrell and Riley are two of many neighbors opposed to the proposal.
Neighbors have put up signs near the intersection of Garden Street and Imeson Road with a diagram of the proposal and how far it is from nearby subdivisions. The sign reads "say no to the fuel depot"
“It’s the most egregious intrusion of single family in the area," Riley said.
District councilmember Randy White confirmed Belvedere Terminals is looking at other sites, but would not say where.
He said the site would have to be about 30 acres for the fuel tanks and around 70 acres of buffer area, 100 acres in total.
Tyrrell and Riley are hopeful it won’t be in their neighborhood and hope city leaders join them in saying no.
“We really need them [city council] to take care of us and the additional 7,000 homes that are coming to outside the perimeter,"
The next public hearing for the proposal will be during a March 26 city council meeting.