For some time, people have wondered what will become of the land at the southwest corner of Lake Weir Avenue and 17th Street in southeast Ocala. Now there is an answer.
On Monday, the Ocala Planning & Zoning Commission will consider a request from the board of trustees of the Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church to add a “transitional recovery facility” at the site.
According to a staff report from city planners, the applicant wants to allow the existing use (church/place of worship) to remain while adding the new use. To achieve this, the applicant needs a zoning change from Institutional (INST) to Limited Community Business (B2A.)
City staff has recommended approval. The Planning & Zoning Commission will make a recommendation to the Ocala City Council, which will have the final say on the rezoning request.
The land at 1712 SE Lake Weir Ave. measures 4.6 acres and was the longtime home of the Druid Hills United Methodist Church, which closed in 2018. The Druid Hills site was known to families of all faiths in Ocala, especially those who visited the annual pumpkin patch every October and the annual Easter Tableau, which was a live depiction of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection.