The Ocala City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a series of measures clearing the way for a 590-unit residential and commercial development at an 82-acre former mining site in southwest Ocala.
During the meeting on Tuesday, August 4, council members approved final readings for an ordinance annexing an 82.4-acre parcel at 5575 SW 52nd Street into the city limits. The vote follows a first reading on July 21, and a recommendation of approval from the Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission in June.
Submitted by developer Ocala 52 Partners, LLC and agent Tillman & Associates Engineering, LLC, the master plan for the proposed community outlines a multi-tiered neighborhood featuring 230 single-family homes spread across 45.4 acres alongside 360 multi-family units situated on 20.2 acres.
An additional 4.5 acres is designated for commercial development, allowing up to 147,000 square feet of business space.
In addition to annexing the property, the council also approved an ordinance changing the site’s land use designation to Low Intensity, an ordinance rezoning the property from county agriculture to city planned development, and a resolution approving the planned development layout and standards book associated with the project.
The approval came shortly after local resident Marcia Armstrong addressed the council to express concerns about previous blasting at the site and past plans to turn the structure into a lake, emphasizing the need for thorough testing…