From Gilbert’s Hardware to Dollar General: Rural Activity Centers in the FPA

From Gilbert’s Hardware to Dollar General: Rural Activity Centers in the FPA

The Flemington Store, at the corner of W Hwy 318 and N Hwy 329, in the heart of the Farmland Preservation Area. There is now a Dollar General across the street.

Family Dollar Store to be built in the FPA

Soon there will be a new Family Dollar store in Orange Lake at the intersection of W Hwy 318 and US Hwy 441. While this intersection is one of the gateways to the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA), it is located in one of the 10 Rural Activity Centers (RAC) that are designated for this exact type of business. The property already has the correct land use/zoning and is being built by BP 5440 Micanopy, LLC and the Contineo Group. 

Marion County’s comprehensive plan allows for limited commercial and residential development in designated Rural Activity Centers (RAC) (Policy 2.1.21) The new Family Dollar store is a perfect example of what the RACs were designed for – to allow small mixed use commercial islands within the rural areas to help residents and businesses meet some of their daily needs and to reduce trips to the urban areas.

At the intersection of CR 318 and 441 in Orange Lake, all four corners have the RAC land use and it encompasses about 57 acres. In 2021, the rural community of Flemington grew with a new Dollar General store, which is located in the Flemington RAC. All four corners of the intersection of W Hwy 318 and N Hwy 329 are included in the RAC. The new Dollar General is located across the street from the old Flemington Store, which has been a part of the community for over 50 years. The new store is a little bit of a stark contrast with the old store and its white clapboard siding and rusty metal roof.

Marion County’s comprehensive plan does not include design guidelines for the 10 RACs to help protect the rural character of the FPA, but there are design guidelines for the area around the Florida Horse Park as part of the CR 475A Visual Enhancement Gateway Development Overlay. The design guidelines cover signs and include additional buffering and landscaping as well as the optional addition of a three-board fence.

While the design elements are not required for the new Family Dollar, if the company included them, it would be a symbolic statement to the community that Family Dollar supports protecting the character and culture that horses and horse farms create in the FPA.

Groceries, Gas, Baling Twine… 

Marion County’s rural area is vast. Just the Farmland Preservation Area is 193,000 acres. The RAC future land use designation allows for mixed use nodes of residential and commercial uses, including agricultural-related commercial uses. These commercial islands within the rural areas are beneficial because they help residents and businesses meet some of their daily needs and also reduce trips to the urban areas.

Some of the additional commercial uses allowed in RACs include hardware stores like Gilbert’s Hardware at the intersection of Hwy 225A and CR 326, gas stations, post offices, and grocery stores. In the Blitchton area, on US 27 near H.I.T.S. and many of the sport horse farms, there are 3 feed stores and 2 restaurants – Berrettini Feed Specialists, Larsen Hay and United Hay for horses and The Beach and Yum Yum Kitchen for riders and trainers – important services conveniently-located for hard working equestrians.

In addition to the commercial development, the RAC allows for higher density residential development. In the RAC, up to two dwelling units per acre are permitted. Even in the FPA, the residential density can be up to two dwelling units per acre inside the RAC.  Outside of the RAC, to help protect the rural character of the FPA, the zoning is one dwelling unit per 10 acres.

The development standards for RACs – the distance from the intersection, the allowed uses, the set backs and the building heights – are the same no matter where they are located, even if the RAC is located inside the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA).

For commercial uses, the floor area ratio is 35% – that means that the buildings can only occupy 35% of each parcel.

For properties that are not located in the RAC and are zoned Agriculture (A-1), landowners are permitted to set up a roadside stand to sell hay or vegetables that are grown on the same property.

The RAC Pack

There are 10 RACs dispersed throughout the FPA that average about 54 acres each. When you combine the acreage, that is about 540 acres. However, the size of any RAC can be expanded to a maximum of 96 acres, if it meets the criteria:

  • No greater than ¼ mile or 1,320 feet from the center of the intersection;
  • 85% developed; and
  • at least 5 miles from another RAC.

These 10 RACs all have a Future Land Use designation of RAC, but for some parcels, the Zoning is not RAC.

Marion County has two RAC classifications: a land use designation and a zoning classification. The Future Land Use (FLU) designation is a generalized classification and sets the development densities. The Zoning specifies which exact uses are allowed versus prohibited on that parcel. This is important to distinguish because a parcel could be designated with a FLU RAC, but have a Zoning of A-1 for agricultural use instead of commercial use. In order for the FLU RAC parcel to be used for commercial purposes, the Zoning would have to be changed. There are some “grandfathered in” exceptions for historically-zoned commercial properties with RAC Land Use that are treated as if they also have RAC Zoning.

HFF Text Amendment: A Chance to Change

If a parcel in a RAC does not have the correct zoning, then the zoning has to be changed in order for potential applicants to build a commercial or residential building. Through this zoning change process, there is an opportunity to submit public comments to the Planning & Zoning Commission and to the Board of County Commissioners because the Horse Farms Forever® Amendment enhances the definition of Rural Character and further requires that all applications for Zoning Requests and Special Use Permits “be consistent with and preserve, protect and support and enhance the rural, equestrian, and farmland character of the Farmland Preservation Area.”

As part of Horse Farms Forever’s role in protecting the character and culture of the Farmland Preservation Area, we are actively monitoring all applications that are submitted for consideration.  Watch our posts and blogs for updates and opportunities to make comment as RAC’s come up for zoning changes. Please join us as a member and support our efforts to uphold Marion County’s rural lifestyle and brand as the Horse Capital of the World®.

Click on each of the RAC’s below to see a detailed map provided courtesy of Marion County’s Interactive Map:

The maps were created using Marion County’s online map. The maps show the the size and location of parcels designated with a FLU of RAC in each of the 10 areas within the FPA. The online map viewer is not intended to be a legal document but rather for reference. We thank the County for providing this helpful resource.

1. N Hwy 329/W Hwy 318 - Flemington

Click on the image to see full size.

2. NW 193rd Street/N US Hwy 441 - Orange Lake

Click on the image to see full size.

3. W Hwy 318/N US Hwy 441

Click on the image to see full size.

4. W Hwy 316/NW Hwy 225 - Fairfield

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5. W Hwy 329/NW Gainesville Road - Lowell

Click on the image to see full size.

6. CR 326/NW Hwy 225A - Gilbert's Hardware

Click on the image to see full size.

7. W Hwy 326/US 27 Blitchton

Click on the image to see full size.

8. NW Hwy 464B/US 27 - Fellowship

Click on the image to see full size.

9. FL 40/NW 110th Avenue

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10. FL 40/SW 140th Avenue

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Commercial uses on World Equestrian Center (“WEC”) designated lands in the Rural Area

For land located in the Rural Area that is also part of the World Equestrian Center (WEC) Planned Unit Development, there is a different land use classification called World Equestrian Center (WEC). (Policy 2.1.28.) The WEC designation allows for commercial uses, recreational uses, residential uses, recreational vehicle parks (“RVP”) and mixed uses. Any commercial uses on World Equestrian Center (“WEC”) designated lands in the Rural Area (i.e., outside the Urban Growth Boundary) are limited to equestrian-related uses associated with the World Equestrian Center.

Examples of equestrian-related uses include polo fields, equestrian arenas, equestrian instruction facilities, veterinary clinics, farriers (non-mobile), stables and barns, and feed stores and tack shops. Any and all accessory uses to equestrian-related uses are ancillary and incidental to such equestrian related use and are located on the same lot or parcel as the principal equestrian-related use. The maximum density for residential uses within the WEC Rural Area is (1) dwelling unit per ten (10) gross acres.

Busy Shires

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

Always Watching

We work hard to keep you informed, and to represent our members' interests in preserving our horse farms, farmland and the unique character and culture of Marion County's 193,000 acre Farmland Preservation Area.

Join the herd. Every voice matters.

Horse Farms Forever Hosts Roundtable on Transfer of Development Rights

Horse Farms Forever Hosts Roundtable on Transfer of Development Rights

The Horse Farms Forever TDR Roundtable meeting on Friday, April 14th at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club was an opportunity for 25 community stakeholders to provide feedback about Marion County’s Transfer of Development Rights program. The purpose of the TDR program is to help protect farmland and natural resources in Marion County by providing financial incentives to landowners and program participants.

Photos by Sean Dowie.

On Friday, April 14th before our Spring Speaker Series event at Golden Ocala, Horse Farms Forever® (HFF) held a Roundtable meeting with a diverse group of 25 community stakeholders to provide feedback on Marion County’s Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program.

Since the County’s TDR program is a key component in protecting the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA), HFF hired Rick Pruetz, an FAICP professional planner and nationally known expert on TDR programs to evaluate the program to determine why the program is underutilized. Rick compiled his research into a Preliminary Findings Report, which was presented at the Roundtable on April 14th.

HFF decided to focus on the TDR program because while the boundaries of the FPA and the protective language of the HFF Text Amendment are included in Marion County’s Comprehensive Plan, these can both be changed with a 3-2 vote of the County Commission. The only way to permanently protect land from development is with a conservation easement, and the TDR program is one of the programs available to landowners who want to preserve their land.

If a landowner chooses to participate in the TDR program and preserve their land with a conservation easement, they receive Transferable Development Credits (TDCs) which they can sell to another landowner to increase the density of designated lands inside Marion County’s Urban Growth Boundary.

A Well-Rounded Discussion

Members of the TDR Roundtable included top leadership at the County including Marion County Commissioner Michelle Stone, County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes, and Assistant County Administrator Tracy Straub. The Growth Services Department was represented by Director Chuck Varadin, Deputy Director Kenneth Weyrauch, and Senior Planner Christopher Rison. In addition, several land use planners and attorneys, two of the largest landowners, one of the top real estate firms, two HFF Board Members, and a representative from On Top of the World, also participated in the Roundtable discussion.

The goal of the TDR Roundtable was to provide feedback on Rick’s Preliminary Findings Report and to determine if there was consensus to move forward with updating the program.

The Roundtable was facilitated by HFF Founder Member Elisabeth Brinton, former Corporate Vice President of Sustainability at Microsoft, who also owns a horse farm in the FPA. There was a lively discussion about why the program was not working and how it might be improved, but with Elisabeth’s tactful facilitation of the diverse viewpoints, the stakeholders agreed to move forward with Phase 2 of the TDR Review Program.

What We Learned

Some of the feedback from the Roundtable included:

While Phase 1 focused on providing feedback on the Preliminary Findings Report, Phase 2 will focus on how, and if, to move forward with updates to the TDR program.

Ten Factors for Success

Rick evaluated Marion County’s TDR Program against a framework of the ten factors found in the most successful TDR programs in the United States. He concluded that Marion County’s program ranked high in the public’s support for farmland preservation, but could benefit from work in four of the ten factors.

“Marion County shows strong public support for the preservation of the Farmland Preservation Area, which has been a feature of the County’s Comprehensive Plan for almost two decades,” the Preliminary Findings Report stated.

Out of the ten factors, Rick recommended focusing on four factors that would be most important to the success of the Marion County TDR program:

  1. Reduce Ability to Gain Increased Development Potential Without Using TDR
  2. Create More Demand for TDR
  3. Form a TDR Bank
  4. Determine an Effective Price for Transferable Development Credits (TDC)

As part of Phase 2, Rick will compile a Findings Report. This report will incorporate the suggestions from the Roundtable and additional input from the community. Then, sometime in late summer or early fall, HFF will host another TDR Roundtable. This meeting may be a held as a public workshop so that all five of the Marion County Commissioners are able to attend.

The TDR program is one of the tools available to landowners, who want to preserve their farm, but the program needs to be updated in order to transform it into a win-win solution to inspire both landowners and developers to utilize the program.

Mounir Bouyounes, Marion County Administrator, addresses the roundtable discussion, while Matthew Brockway, Shareholder & Treasurer, Icard & Merrill and HFF Attorney; County Commissioner Michelle Stone; and Marion County Assistant Administrator, Public Works and Growth Services, Tracy Straub listen alongside him.

Fred Roberts, Jr., Attorney, Klein & Klein, LLC; Chuck Varadin, Director, Marion County Growth Services; and Kenneth Weyrauch, Deputy Director, Marion County Growth Services

Rick Pruetz shares his Marion County findings and Elisabeth Brinton,  Corporate Vice President of Sustainability, Microsoft (retired), HFF Founder Member, facilitates the discussion.

The Roundtable included many of the County’s most prominent developers and planners. They are a critical part of any discussion of TDRs.

Join the Conversation

Horse Farms Forever invites you to be a part of this important community wide conversation about how to protect the Farmland Preservation Area. With your support, we can help preserve land and natural resources and also steer growth to appropriate areas in the Urban Growth Boundary.

Back Row L to R:
Chuck Varadin, Director, Marion County Growth Services
Kenneth Weyrauch, Deputy Director, Marion County Growth Services
John Rudnianyn, CCIM, ALC, International Property Services, Corp.
Paul Kaplan, Wellington Management Co. (retired), HFF Founder and Director
Matthew Brockway, Shareholder & Treasurer, Icard & Merrill, HFF Attorney
John Piotti, President, American Farmland Trust
George Isaacs, General Manager, Bridlewood Farm, HFF Founder and Director
Paolo Mastroserio, P.E., Mastroserio Engineering, Inc.
Bernie Little, President and Founder, Horse Farms Forever, Inc.
Matt Varney, Realtor/Broker, Ocala Horse Properties, HFF Founder Member
Robert Batsel, Jr., Attorney, Gooding & Batsel, PLLC
Todd Rudnianyn, CCIM, International Property Services, Corp.
Jimmy Gooding, Partner, Gooding & Bastel, PLLC
Fred Roberts, Jr, Attorney, Klein & Klein, LLC.
Rick Pruetz, FAICP

Front Row L to R:
Michelle Stone, Marion County Commissioner, District 5, Representing the Farmland Preservation Area
Christopher Rison, Senior Planner, Marion County Growth Services
Paul Caspersen, Director of Planned Giving, American Farmland Trust
Mounir Bouyounes, P.E., County Administrator, Marion County
Sara Powell Fennessy, Director of Community Affairs, HFF Staff
Busy Shires, Director of Conservation Strategies, HFF Staff
Tamara Fleischhaker, Chief Experience Officer, Ocala Metro CEP
Elisabeth Brinton, Corporate Vice President of Sustainability, Microsoft (retired), Owner, Serenity Spring Farm, HFF Founder Member
Kenneth Metcalf, AICP, Dir. of Planning & Development Services, Stearns Weaver Miller, P.A.
Tracy Straub, P.E., Assistant County Administrator, Public Works & Growth Services
David Tillman, P.E., Tillman & Associates Engineering, LLC

Busy Shires

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

HFF Celebrates Farmland Preservation Month

HFF Celebrates Farmland Preservation Month

John Piotti and Rick Pruetz joined HFF’s Sara Fennessy, Busy Shires and Bernie Little for a conversation about conservation. Photos by Sean Dowie Photography

Spring Speaker Series at Golden Ocala

Over 100 guests joined Horse Farms Forever to celebrate Farmland Preservation Month at our second annual Spring Speaker Series event on Friday, April 14th at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club. Our Presenting Sponsor for the event was Lugano Diamonds and our Program Sponsor was Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Many thanks to them for their gracious support!

We were honored to have two of the nation’s leaders in farmland preservation as our speakers. John Piotti is the President and CEO of the American Farmland Trust (AFT) and Rick Pruetz of Smart Preservation, who is an FAICP professional planner and a nationally recognized expert on Transfer of Development Rights.

American Farmland Trust’s John Piotti. 

Saving America’s Farmland

John spoke about the importance of preserving farmland and highlighted AFT’s role as the only agricultural land trust with a national scope. AFT has preserved over 7 million acres of farmland since the organization’s founding in 1980 by Peggy Rockefeller. AFT pioneered the use of conservation easements to protect farmland from development, and also works to develop programs at the federal, state, and local level to purchase conservation easements. Under John’s leadership, AFT has helped secure billions of dollars in federal funding to protect farmland and has developed several new programs to support climate-smart agriculture, regenerative farming practices, and next-generation farmers.

“Yet despite these accomplishments, AFT and its partners have much more work to do because, every year 750,000 acres of productive farmland is lost to development,” said John.

Research conducted by AFT shows that over the next 20 years, given current growth trends, Florida will lose over 620,000 acres of land, which translates into losing about 4,400 farms, $727 million in farm output, and 21,400 jobs.  Even in Marion County, over 2,500 acres has been lost from the Farmland Preservation Area.  While these numbers are staggering, the tools exist to help slow this trend. AFT partners with other state and local organizations to raise awareness about farmland preservation and the tools, including conservation easements, available to landowners to protect their farm, explained John.

John also emphasized the importance of local comprehensive planning to help protect farmland. AFT’s research also shows that with better planning and development choices, that over 350,000 acres of farmland, 2,500 farms, $347 million in farm output, and 11,000 jobs can be saved in Florida. In addition, with better planning, local governments can more effectively reduce the cost of community services such as roads and emergency services.

“While conservation easements are great tools to preserve farmland, they can only protect so much land,” said John “With a good comprehensive plan, more land can be preserved on a larger scale.”

One of the tools in Marion County’s comprehensive plan to help protect farmlands and steer growth to urban areas is the existing Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program.


Just one stunning example of the wearable art on display from Lugano Diamonds

Foster Bachschmidt, Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch, with HFF President Bernie Little

HFF Founder, owner of Serenity Spring Farm and global sustainability expert, Elisabeth Brinton, with John Piotti

Tasha Osbourne, Sotheby’s International Realty Broker/Associate, with her husband Michael Osbourne, flanked by Charlie Stone on the left and Lugano Diamonds’ Jack Sharp on the right


Sara Powell Fennessy, returning to HFF as our Director of Community Affairs, is welcomed by Marion County Commissioner, Craig Curry

Charlie Stone, former member of the Florida House of Representatives, Michelle Stone, Marion County Commissioner, Rick Pruetz, FAICP, and Paul Caspersen, Director of Planned Giving, American Farmland Trust

Kylie Halter, HFF Founder Mary Jane Hunt, Mary Bancroft and David Velez

HFF friends Chuck and Dawn Vigne


HFF Board Member and Founder Elma Garcia Cannavino with HFF Founder Matt Varney Broker/Realtor, Ocala Horse Properties

HFF Member Tammy Dowie with Event Planner Sadie Cone Fitzpatrick


More stunning Lugano sparkle

Rick Pruetz is a city planner, author, consultant and national expert on the subject of Transfer of Development Rights programs.

How TDRs Can Help Save Farmland

Also, during the evening, Rick Pruetz presented insights on successful TDR programs in other communities. He also provided some suggestions to help improve Marion County’s TDR program.

Rick explained the basics of how TDR programs work. TDRs are a voluntary program that allows the owner of one property (Sending site) to transfer the development rights to the owner of a second property (Receiving site). The Sending site owner receives money from the sale of the development rights to the Receiving site owner. Then, those development rights are transferred to the Receiving site property to increase the density.

TDR programs can benefit landowners, developers, and communities by helping them implement their preservation as well as development goals without reliance on taxation. Instead, TDR uses market forces to transfer the density from one property to preserve natural resources, wildlife habitat or farmland, to another property in a designated urban area, explained Rick.

 “One of the most successful TDR programs was created in Montgomery County, Maryland,” said Rick. “Montgomery County is located just north of Washington, DC, but despite tremendous development pressure, the County has preserved over 72,000 acres, with 52,000 acres through a TDR program.”

Montgomery County’s TDR program not only preserved the land, it also helped preserve the agricultural economy and created more investment by farmers in their business.

 “Preserving the land also gave landowners greater confidence that farming would remain a viable activity,” said Rick. “It stabilized the agricultural industry and prevented landowners from selling their land out of fear that the farm next door would be developed.”

In 2022, HFF hired Rick to evaluate Marion County’s TDR program to determine why the program is underutilized. Rick compiled his research into a Preliminary Study, which evaluated Marion County’s TDR program against Ten Success Factors.

“Marion County excels in one of the top ten success factors for TDRs, which is strong support for preservation from the community,” said Rick. “For example, in 2005, the Farmland Preservation Area was created, and in 2021, over 90% of respondents agreed that the Farmland Preservation Area should be maintained to ensure Marion County’s legacy of the Horse Capital of the World for future generations.”

Marion County’s TDR Program

Marion County’s TDR program was created in 2004. The TDR Receiving Area was designated as the Urban Growth Area and the Sending Area was named the Farmland Preservation Area in 2005. In 2007, the Sending Area was expanded to include all land designated as Rural Lands outside of the Urban Growth Area that are 30 acres or more and accepted by the County as having significant resources. About 3,200 acres has been preserved with conservation easements through the TDR program.

Rick also made some suggestions on how to improve Marion County’s TDR program by focusing on four success factors that could help increase the viability and effectiveness of the TDR program by creating more demand for TDRs.

HFF will be hosting additional meetings with stakeholders to discuss the four success factors and to determine if the Marion County Commission will adopt any of the recommended changes, but the process of updating the TDR program was off to a great start.

 “It warmed my heart to see a room of thoughtful people interested in hearing positive approaches to farmland preservation and agricultural policy,” said Rick after the event.

The Spring Speaker Series event is a continuation of Horse Farms Forever’s successful Conversations about Conservation program. One of HFF’s goals for this year’s program was to highlight just how fragile the boundaries of the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) are in Marion County. Even though this area has been designated as a preservation area, the boundaries of the FPA can be erased by a vote of just three of the five Marion County Commissioners.

These conversations between land conservation experts and landowners are often the first step in preserving horse farms for future generations.

Join our efforts to preserve what we all love about Marion County – the horses, open spaces and beautiful places.

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

Busy Shires

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

Contact the County about the EAR:

For any additional questions regarding the EAR process, please email Planning@MarionFL.org with your subject line including 'EAR' or call us at 352-438-2675 & ask for a planner.

https://www.marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/growth-services/planning-zoning/ear

The workshops will be livestreamed. Check the County’s agenda webpage for the link: https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

HFF Welcomes Perla Boord Capriles As New Founder

HFF Welcomes Perla Boord Capriles As New Founder

Perla Boord Capriles with Charlie XVIII

Horse Farms Forever is pleased to welcome Perla Boord Capriles as a Founder Member. Perla, a competitive show jumper and hunter rider, has travelled the world showing her horses. While her farm and horses have been in Wellington for over 12 years, she fell in love with Ocala while visiting over a year ago, and decided to buy a horse farm near the World Equestrian Center (WEC).

“I fell instantly in love with Ocala and its breathtaking nature and beauty,” she says. “It is truly a horse paradise. The facilities at WEC are spectacular. I have travelled and shown all around the world and there is nothing like it. WEC is truly unparalleled, not only for the riders, but equally for the horses and spectators as well. It is a one-of-a-kind facility in the world.”

Latin Roots

Perla has loved horses since she was 8 years old. She grew up in Venezuela and Spain, and was educated in the USA.  

 “Horses are not only my passion, they are my way of life,” she states.

She is concerned about the rapid growth of Ocala due to the new roads and construction, but hopeful that good planning will create a balance between development and the conservation of land for horse farms.

 “I hope that the charm of the area as ‘horse country’ will be preserved,” she says. “That’s why I truly believe in Horse Farms Forever’s mission to help preserve Ocala’s true identity as the Horse Capital of the World™ for horse lovers like me.”

At Home In Horse Country

This iconic landscape of rolling hills, live oak trees, and horses grazing in the pasture – create the open spaces and beautiful places that make this area truly unique – and Perla is right – there is no other place in the world quite like Marion County. We are Horse Country!

Busy Shires

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

Contact the County about the EAR:

For any additional questions regarding the EAR process, please email Planning@MarionFL.org with your subject line including 'EAR' or call us at 352-438-2675 & ask for a planner.

https://www.marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/growth-services/planning-zoning/ear

The workshops will be livestreamed. Check the County’s agenda webpage for the link: https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Little Creek Farm and Lifelong Equestrian Family Join HFF as Founder Members

Little Creek Farm and Lifelong Equestrian Family Join HFF as Founder Members

Nicole Hornblower and James Denman

Horse Farms Forever is happy to welcome Nicole Hornblower and her husband James Denman as Founder Members. Their primary residence is in Massachusetts, but they fell in love with Marion County’s picturesque countryside after visiting Ocala for several years for horse shows. In 2017, Hornblower and her husband decided to buy their own horse farm.

“This is such a beautiful area and my husband, James and I, are very excited to be part of the Horse Farms Forever community to help make sure that there is land for horses,” says Hornblower.

Spurred by Roadway Development

In 2018, shortly after they purchased their property, now named Little Creek Farm, they learned about the proposed Coastal Connector toll road from their realtor, Matt Varney of Ocala Horse Properties. They are grateful that the road was stopped, but they became concerned again when the Northern Turnpike Extension was recently proposed.

 “I know there’s been a lot of change in Ocala because of the World Equestrian Center and all of the road construction” said Hornblower. “But it’s wonderful to have an organization like Horse Farms Forever to help protect farms. It’s a mission that I believe in and support.”

Hornblower grew up riding in the northeast and has watched a lot of farms in Massachusetts be developed. “We lost several farms to developers that hosted horse shows,” she said.

Sport Horses and Sport Cars

Horses have always been a part of Hornblower’s life. She competed at horse trails up to the Preliminary level as an amateur and helped organize horse trails in Massachusetts as a co-organizer.

 “I have been riding most of my life and I accomplished what I wanted to with eventing,” she said. “But now I am focusing on dressage, with a horse that likes to do dressage, and I hope to earn my USDF Bronze medal this year.”

The equestrian lifestyle is also part of James’ life too. “He loves working on the farm and being on the tractor and mowing,” she said. “He is very supportive of the riding, but he loves airplanes and antique British cars.”

Hornblower also served as the Area 1 Young Rider coordinator for several years. “It’s fun to see the younger generation competing,” she said.

One of the competitors at the Area 1 Young Rider events was her daughter Heather Maytham, who is a three-day eventer. Maytham is a graduate of Jericho Forest Pony Club and she was named to the National Young Riders Championship team. She was also the Area 1 reserve leading Intermediate amateur rider before transitioning to professional status. She has successfully produced multiple horse through the FEI levels of eventing to the CCI*** level and to 1.30 m in show jumping. Maytham is now based out of Ocala full time at Basset Hill Farm.

Horse Farms Forever’s Founder Members encompass several equestrian disciplines from Thoroughbred racing to combined driving and we are delighted to have a family that competes in both dressage and three-day eventing as new members.

 

Busy Shires

What About Zoning?

The Zoning regulations are found in the Land Development Code, which is a separate document with specific guidelines to implement the Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Zoning regulates development through land use classifications and specifies the areas in which residential, industrial, recreational or commercial activities may take place. The Land Development Code was adopted through a series of ordinances by the County Commission, which means that the regulations cannot be changed or waived, except by a further vote of the County Commission.

Contact the County about the EAR:

For any additional questions regarding the EAR process, please email Planning@MarionFL.org with your subject line including 'EAR' or call us at 352-438-2675 & ask for a planner.

https://www.marionfl.org/agencies-departments/departments-facilities-offices/growth-services/planning-zoning/ear

The workshops will be livestreamed. Check the County’s agenda webpage for the link: https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx