Always Alert

The Horse Farms Forever watchdogs actively monitor all applications for development with a special focus on the Farmland Preservation Area. On late Thursday, June 18th, when the County published the Development Review Committee (DRC) agenda for the Monday, June 22nd meeting, the HFF watchdogs spotted something concerning and immediately sprang into action.

David Tillman of Tillman and Associates Engineering, the applicant for the Golden Ocala Equestrian Land WEC Polo Field and Facilities, submitted a waiver request to allow the release of building permits prior to approval of the Major Site Plan.

Early on Monday morning, Horse Farms Forever’s attorney, Matthew Brockway, submitted a formal letter to the County challenging the DRC’s authority to approve the waiver request.

At the DRC meeting, Chuck Varadin, Director of Growth Services, presented Brockway’s letter and asked Assistant County Attorney Linda Blackburn for clarification on the points in the HFF Brockway letter.

“There’s a letter that the Board has and so we’re looking for legal to provide some clarification on that going forward because there are a lot of plan approvals that the letter questions,” said Mr. Varadin.

Be sure to watch the video below of Mr. Varadin’s full comments.

Then, Ms. Blackburn, addressed the DRC, stating that the Development Review Committee did not have the authority to waive major site plans and she referenced the relevant sections of the County’s Land Development Code: Division 10, Waiver Request and Division 21 Major Site Plan.

“I know it has been done in the past, I’ve had consult with Mr. Minter (County Attorney) and Mr. Brockway is absolutely correct,” said Ms. Blackburn. “We are not to sidestep major site plan approval and then allow permits to go forward.”

Be sure to watch both videos below of Ms. Blackburn’s full comments.

The County’s Land Development Code establishes the DRC’s limited authority to grant waivers. The waiver provisions are intended to apply to design and improvement standards, “not the fundamental application, review, and approval procedures and requirements of the LDC,” as Mr. Brockway also states in his letter:

“The DRC lacks the power and authority to grant a waiver to release building permits prior to approval of the Major Site Plan as requested in Item 6.1.”

“Any DRC waiver of this nature is ultra vires and illegal.”

LONG-TERM CONCERN

The issue regarding waivers extends far beyond this single application. Mr. Brockway’s letter caused a bit of a stir at the meeting as evidently the DRC has been routinely granting similar waivers for Major Site Plans, allowing building permits to move forward.

These waivers also set a dangerous precedent. The DRC is obligated to apply the Land Development Code as written, not grant waivers outside of their authority.

Discovering this violation of the Land Development Code is one of the main reasons why Horse Farms Forever’s watchdog mission is so important. The vigilance of the HFF watchdogs revealed a pattern of illegal waivers that have been routinely issued by the DRC.

Due to HFF’s objection and the Brockway letter, these waivers have been halted!

Always Alert

Please join our efforts by becoming a member. Your support helps protect our horse farms and equestrian way of life in Marion County.

It takes hundreds of hours to read and review every application for development. Your generous contributions help protect our rural lands, preserve our equine identity, and plan responsibly for the future.

Being a “Trojan horse” means appearing harmless, beneficial, or legitimate to gain someone’s trust or access to a secure area, only to unleash harm or subvert them from within. It is a metaphor rooted in the ancient Greek myth of the Trojan War. [Wikipedia]

“Do we plan on using them for soccer if the future PUD gets approved? Absolutely, we will, no question about it . There will be multi-use fields that will get multi-use for a multitude of uses.”

Be sure to watch the whole video below for his full comments.

The “equestrian use” of polo fields sounds interesting, but the real plan is to use the polo fields for soccer and other multi-uses once the Charlotte Weber litigation, which Mr. Tillman described as “unfounded” is resolved.

Always Alert

The Horse Farms Forever watchdogs are actively monitoring this waiver request and we will keep our members updated!

Your generous contributions help protect our rural lands, preserve our equine identity, and plan responsibly for the future.