Citrus County residents, commissioners in battle over potential data center in Holder
HOLDER, Fla. - A developer is urging Citrus County commissioners to more than double their rights over land in Holder to build an industrial park.
The debate comes as the state wrestles with how to regulate facilities that can greatly tap water and power supplies.
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Deltona Corporation already has 557 acres near Lecanto Highway and US-41 that are zoned for industrial, and said it is leaving its options open for a data center there. It wants another 800 acres zoned for industrial uses to the east and south of it.
Local perspective:
Holder residents like Cora, Gary and Jessica Engstrom love what they have: Plenty of land, animals and quiet.
But now, they feel under threat, saying a proposed 100 ft. gap between industry and them is nowhere near enough. The Engstrom's 20 acres are wedged amidst a half-dozen parcels that Deltona Corporation wants the county to re-zone for industrial use.
"We've had this solitude and peace and serenity here for quite a while," said Cora Engstrom. "They're going to disrupt all of that."
By the numbers:
Deltona's presentation predicts around 2,500 construction jobs, 825 company jobs and $105 million in property tax revenue.
"The economic benefit of this and the impact, potentially, would do much better for the greater good in the long term," said Victor Leotta, "generationally for Citrus County."
What they're saying:
But, neighbors lined up at the meeting to say they want what they already have, and what money can't buy.
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"This is your opportunity to make the citizens come first," said one public speaker.
Residents are petrified of the potential for a data center's drain on the water and power supply, and of the whirring noises that could come from such a large plant.
Deltona said the effects can be mitigated, which the residents don't buy.
"It's going to kill people," said one speaker.
Dig deeper:
The state is going through its own process to regulate the centers, with the Florida senate pushing limits on the impact to power and water grids. The house has yet to act.
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Citrus commissioners pushed a final vote off over the Deltona re-zoning by several weeks. The Engstrom's hope that becomes permanent.
Hundreds have signed petitions against it.
"This is the nature coast," said Gary Engstrom, "and we wanted to be in God's country and get away from all this industrial pollution."
The developer behind the proposal declined to comment right away, but they said they are going to wait to see if the state legislature acts and base a new proposal on that.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered using comments made by public speakers at a county meeting, interviews conducted in Holder, and a presentation from the Deltona Corporation.