Deltona Corporation withdraws data center rezoning application in Citrus County, Florida
Deltona Corporation withdrew its controversial rezoning application for an 800-acre expansion of Holder Industrial Park in Citrus County, Florida, which could have led to future data center development. The withdrawal followed strong community opposition, a recommendation for denial by the planning commission, and a county commission vote against delaying the application. The project is now subject to a recently enacted 12-month data center moratorium in the county.
Deltona Corporation has withdrawn its controversial application to rezone nearly 800 acres near Holder Industrial Park in Citrus County, Florida. The proposed rezoning would have changed the land from agricultural and low-density residential to heavy industrial, potentially paving the way for large-scale data center development.
This withdrawal came swiftly after Citrus County commissioners unanimously denied Deltona's request to delay consideration of the application. It also followed a unanimous recommendation for denial from the Citrus County Planning & Development Commission, which held a marathon public hearing with record attendance. Residents had voiced significant concerns regarding groundwater protection, traffic, and overall growth pressures associated with data centers.
County Commissioner Holly Davis noted that the withdrawal means Deltona loses its place in the county's review process, making any future application a new filing and therefore subject to the 12-month moratorium on data center development that commissioners approved earlier this month. This moratorium temporarily blocks data center-related rezonings, site plan approvals, and building permits while the county studies potential impacts and develops permanent regulations.
County Commission Chair Diana Finegan lauded the withdrawal as a victory for residents but cautioned that Deltona could return with different proposals. Finegan emphasized that county officials are actively discussing ways to strengthen the land development code and establish stricter standards for future data center projects, aiming to have robust ordinances in place before new applications are submitted.