Citrus County panel rejects Holder Industrial Park data center rezoning
The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission denied a rezoning request by Deltona Corporation for Holder Industrial Park, which would have allowed for a data center. Residents voiced strong opposition due to environmental impacts, noise, vibrations, and water usage concerns. This decision occurred despite the proposal being filed before the county's one-year moratorium on data center approvals.
The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission voted to deny a rezoning request from Deltona Corporation for the Holder Industrial Park in Lecanto, Florida. The developer had sought to convert nearly 800 additional acres of agricultural and residential land to heavy industrial use, expanding the park to over 1,300 acres, a change that could have allowed for a data center. This denial came despite Deltona Corporation filing their proposal before Citrus County's recently enacted one-year moratorium on data center approvals took effect, meaning the commission was obligated to consider it.
Residents from across Citrus County, including Hernando and Inverness, passionately opposed the rezoning. Speakers like Tracy Landry, John Blaine, and Jennifer Holly Grogran highlighted concerns about incompatibility with residential areas, environmental protection, and potential impacts on local resources. Joanna Coutu, Director of Land Development & Deputy Growth Manager for Citrus County, also expressed concerns about placing heavy industrial use near low-density residential and agricultural zones.
Attorney Clark Stillwell, representing the application's proponents, argued that many resident concerns about noise, vibrations, and water usage might be based on outdated information about data center technology. However, the commission ultimately sided with residents and county staff. Citrus County leaders are now reviewing comprehensive regulations for data center development, with the current 12-month moratorium in place to allow staff time to study issues such as water consumption, electrical demand, setbacks, buffering, noise, and environmental impacts.