OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously (5–0) at a July 21 transmittal hearing to move forward with requests from Golden Ocala Equestrian Land, LLC for text and map amendments tied to a proposed 236-acre sports and entertainment complex.
The amendments change the future land use element and land use designation from Low Residential to World Equestrian Center. The proposal, along with supporting data, will now be sent to the state for review and comment.
Legal pushback and concerns raised
Attorneys for Horse Farms Forever and Charlotte Weber opposed the request, asking commissioners to deny the changes. Concerns centered around internal consistency with the county’s comprehensive plan.
Marion County Attorney Guy Minter explained that state law does not require proposed amendments to align with the current comprehensive plan, as long as the final result, after all amendments, is internally consistent.
Commissioners were reminded that internal consistency must be addressed before final adoption.
Farmland Preservation Area a sticking point
Most speakers at the hearing opposed the current location of the project, which borders the Farmland Preservation Area, though many supported the idea of a sports complex in general…