Citrus County Planning Commission Recommends Denying Holder Industrial Park Data Center Rezoning
The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission unanimously recommended denying a rezoning application for the Holder Industrial Park expansion, which included a proposed data center. The decision came after strong resident opposition and concerns about the lack of detailed information regarding water and power usage, and the absence of a confirmed end user. The County Commission will now consider the recommendation, while the county also recently enacted a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications.
The Citrus County Planning and Development Commission (PDC) unanimously recommended denying a major rezoning application for the Holder Industrial Park expansion, which included a proposed data center. The decision followed a packed public hearing in Lecanto, where residents voiced strong opposition to the development.
The primary reasons for the PDC's denial recommendation included the applicant's lack of detailed information regarding project specifics, the absence of a confirmed end user, and uncertain impacts on utilities. Attorney Clark Stillwell, representing the applicant, stated that the Holder site would be used exclusively for a data center, involving four buildings and taking approximately three years to construct, employing 300-500 workers during construction and 50-100 upon completion. He highlighted modern data centers' use of closed-loop cooling systems to reduce water consumption.
Residents raised concerns about water use, power demand, traffic, noise, and the loss of rural land, emphasizing Citrus County's identity as the "Nature Coast." The PDC also questioned why Deltona Corporation was seeking rezoning approval before the county adopted new ordinances establishing regulations for data centers.
This decision temporarily halts Deltona Corporation's plan to convert nearly 800 acres of agricultural and low-density residential land near County Road 491 and Tram Road into heavy industrial use. The recommendation will now move to the County Commission, which is already reviewing how to regulate data center development and recently approved a 12-month moratorium on new data center applications to study potential impacts.