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CR 318/I-75 Interchange Slated for High Density Development – Includes Sunny Oaks RGAC

CR 318/I-75 Interchange Slated for High Density Development – Includes Sunny Oaks RGAC

by | Feb 25, 2022 | News, Resolved

On the map, the blue areas have a Future Land Use designation of Employment Center (includes residential and commercial/industrial) and the purple is Commerce District (limited to industrial and commercial uses.) The 453-acre Sunny Oaks Regional Activity Center (RGAC) border is designated by the yellow and black hash marks.

What We’re Watching in Irvine

The Irvine/Sunny Oaks Regional Activity Center is on the March 1, 2022, Marion County Commission agenda to request a change in zoning from Agriculture (A-1) to Planned Unit Development (PUD).

The PUD zoning classification is intended to provide a process for the evaluation of unique individually planned residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use developments, which may not otherwise be permitted in the standard zoning classifications established by this Division.

The proposed 453-acre Sunny Oaks PUD is a catalyst project that will forever change the rural and scenic character of the intersection at CR 318 and I-75 in Irvine. The community and local residents are justly concerned about the long-term impacts of the proposed 4 million square feet of commercial and warehouse space on traffic and their quality of life.

Because this project is located within the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA), Horse Farms Forever has recently spent hundreds of hours researching the proposed Sunny Oaks Zoning Request. We consulted with our land use attorney, key stakeholders and land use planners to better understand the complex legal issues and the scope of the previous development agreements and determine if there was a role for HFF. This is a summary of what we found.

Zoning Change

The Irvine/Sunny Oaks RGAC is adjacent to the Highway 318 interchange on I-75.  This interchange includes a Future Land Use Element designation in the Comprehensive Plan that includes an Employment Center, a Commerce District and a Regional Activity Center.  While this parcel is within the Farmland Preservation Area boundaries, these Future Land Use designations overlay and override the Farmland Preservation Area regulations and restrictions.

As a result of the above designations and classifications, the owner of this parcel has a legal right to rezone this parcel from agriculture to an implementing zoning district for the specific Future Land Use designation. This legal right was established in 2012 when the RGAC was created and revised in 2014.

While the requested zoning change is to Planned Unit Development, there are other options that would satisfy the legal obligation of the County to rezone the property to an implementing zoning district. Nonetheless, they all allow significant retail, commercial and industrial development.

The Marion County Growth Services Staff has done an excellent job in their report detailing the very complicated history and facts surrounding this parcel and the zoning change request.  In addition, the Growth Services report contains recommendations of significant conditions.  Most importantly, while the developer has provided a Conceptual Plan for the development, a Master Plan for the Planned Unit Development has not been provided, which is a required critical element in establishing the scope, scale and other details of the project.

Traffic Concerns

Traffic capacity and safety of the intersection at I-75 and CR 318 was also addressed in the staff report. The interchange has not been updated from the original 1964 design and CR 318 is a winding two-lane road with limited visibility on the east side of the interstate. The Growth Service’s staff report states: “Prior to obtaining final PUD Master Plan approval, completion and review of the project’s formal traffic study will be required with the resolution of any level of service and/or design deficiencies identified being addressed consistent with the applicable Land Development Code (LDC) provisions.”

If the Commissioners approve the zoning request to PUD, then a PUD Master Plan of the parcel is required. The Growth Services staff report states: “The final PUD Master Plan, or equivalent shall require review and approval by the Marion County Board of County Commissioners.”

Learn More About Sunny Oaks

A User-Friendly Guide to Zoning Jargon

Future Land Use (FLU) Designation: a classification of a property that explains what types of development can be built on that property in the future.

Future Land Use Map: The future land use map is a community’s visual guide to future planning. The future land use map should bring together most if not all of the elements of the comprehensive plan such as natural resources, economic development, housing and transportation.

Zoning: A method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones.

What is the Difference Between Future Land Use (FLU) and Zoning?
Future Land Use FLU designations indicate the intended use and development density for a particular area, while zoning districts specifically define allowable uses and contain the design and development guidelines for those intended uses.

Planned Unit Development (PUD): A type of flexible zoning device that redefines the land uses allowed within a stated land area. PUDs consist of site plans that promote the creation of open spaces, mixed-use housing and land uses, environmental preservation and sustainability, and development flexibility.

Overlay Zone: A zoning district which is applied over one or more previously established zoning districts, establishing additional or stricter standards and criteria for covered properties in addition to those of the underlying zoning district.

Regional Activity Center (RGAC) in Marion County’s Comprehensive Plan: The purpose of a RGAC is: “To allow for compact, high intensity, high density multi-use development which may include a mix of the following uses: retail, office, housing, cultural, recreational and entertainment facilities, hospitality facilities (hotels and motels), and industrial uses that serve a regional area.”

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.

Join or Donate Now
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.

Marion County Five-Year Strategic Plan Takes Farmland Preservation Into Account

Marion County Five-Year Strategic Plan Takes Farmland Preservation Into Account

by | Feb 14, 2022 | Informational, News, Resolved

Part 2 of a Series.

Here’s Part 1: Future Growth is Here: Map of 36,000 Permitted Residential Units Presented at Budget Planning Workshop

Marion County In The Binoculars

Every five years, the Marion County Commission adopts a five-year Strategic Plan to help guide growth and development. The draft Marion County Administrative Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026: Empowering Marion for Success, was presented to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) at a workshop held on July 7, 2021. The purpose of the workshop was to present the draft plan to the County Commission and receive their input on staff’s recommendations.

The Strategic Plan is organized into five Elements:

  1. Organizational Experience
  2. Resources and Facilities
  3. Planning and Future Growth
  4. Public Infrastructure
  5. Public Safety

Every County department developed recommendations, action steps, and potential funding sources. This plan takes a comprehensive approach to planning for growth to help ensure that the County is able to keep up with the demand in services and provide good customer service overall.  The plan’s Executive Summary states:

“As with the previous five-year plan, this plan will be the road map for our operations as we continue to deliver services to our citizens and visitors at the highest possible level.”

The good news is that the Strategic Plan includes several recommendations to protect the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) and to help retain Marion County’s unique rural character. It makes several recommendations to:

“focus on our outdoor assets and natural resources to preserve their quality so they continue to define their character and play a major role in attracting visitors and guests to Marion County and represent a positive economic impact.”

Strategic Plan Major issues:

  • Staffing shortage in some County departments
  • The availability of affordable workforce housing and apartments for rent
  • Multiple road widening and expansion projects
  • Lack of public infrastructure, libraries, and recreational opportunities in some areas of the county
  • Aging infrastructure and buildings
  • Urban sprawl

Strategic Plan Goals:

  • Providing incentives for infill and multi-family housing developments
  • Directing growth to vested developments
  • Expanding roads and trail networks
  • Providing expanded recreational opportunities
  • Developing user friendly information about parks to increase outdoor tourism
  • Preserving natural resources
  • Protecting water quantity and quality
  • Providing a safe community

Spotlight On Element 3: Planning and Future Growth

Mounir Bouyounes, Marion County Administrator, introduced the Strategic Plan and emphasized the amount of work done on the Planning and Future Growth Element.

“There are a lot of new ideas and information being presented to you. It’s not new, but these are ideas that we are bringing to the forefront and see where we take it from here,” said Bouyounes.

Angel Roussel, Assistant County Administrator, Public and Environmental Services Director, led the team for the Planning and Future Growth Element. The report included input from several stakeholders to understand the County’s strengths and weaknesses. The Planning and Future Growth Committee met with multiple County departments and stakeholders in the community and some of their suggestions were incorporated into the report.

Roussel emphasized that new growth and development should be focused within the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and in strategic areas including the FL Cross Roads Commerce Park, SR 200, World Equestrian Center (WEC) and the NW 49th Street Interchange area.

“This will help us stay out of the Farmland Preservation Area and focus on infill,” said Roussel. “It’s all a balancing act.”

Development Pressure On The FPA Boundary

There are several recommendations to help protect the Farmland Preservation Area in the Strategic Plan but several new roads proposed as “vision projects” near the southeast corner of the FPA boundary near the intersection of CR 225A and US Hwy 27 will increase development pressure in that area. Vision Projects are not yet approved or funded. The pink lines on the map above show the locations of these Vision Project roads, all located outside the Farmland Preservation Area. The green and yellow lines show approved project roads.

A new road is proposed to connect SW/NW 80/70th Avenue to SW 60th Avenue and also provide access north to US 27.

Another new road is proposed that will run parallel to I-75 on the east side of I-75 that will connect to CR 326. This new road is an extension of NW 39th Avenue Road, which is where the distribution centers for Amazon, Chewy’s, Auto Zone, and Fed Ex are located.

In addition to the two new roads, NW 44th Avenue, an existing road which runs parallel to I-75 from US 27 to CR 326 on the west side of the interstate, was recommended to be four-laned from NW 63rd Street to CR 326. The south end of NW 44th Avenue is already four-laned. In order to maintain the level of service for the road due to the increase in residential, industrial and warehouse development, four-laning the rest of NW 44th Avenue is necessary.

If approved, these would be in addition to the already approved extension of NW 49th Street – a road that will connect CR 225A to the new I-75 interchange. About half of the road, Section 3A, is funded for construction in fiscal year 2020/2021. The second half of the road is funded for construction for fiscal year 2022/2023. See our blog about the SW/NW 80/70th Avenue road-widening project for background: https://www.horsefarmsforever.com/update-sw-nw-80th-70th-avenue-road-widening-and-northern-turnpike-extension/

Farmland On The Forefront

The recommendations to help protect the Farmland Preservation Area include:

  • Create an FPA inventory for Analysis: Analyze the designated FPA and create an inventory of the existing farmland including location, acreage, zoning, physical land use and any other designation.
  • Family Division Analysis: Research and review the family divisions that have occurred in the past and analyze the effectiveness by determining if said family divisions remain within the family ownership.
  • Opportunity Zones & Farmland Preservation Overlap Analysis: Analyze the validity of this designation and make recommendations to explore the efficacy of retaining the FPA within an Opportunity Zone.
  • Protect the rural character of the Farmland Preservation Area by Creating additional Buffering:  By providing buffer alternatives, future development will have a predictable specification, which will ease new development while preserving the rural character of this resource.
  • Review and Modify the Transfer of Development Rights Program: Review the Transfer Development Rights program and propose changes if needed to ensure maximum effectiveness of the program.

Builders Make a Case For Higher Density

At the end of the meeting, there was an opportunity for public comments. Florida House of Representatives Stan McClain attended the meeting, but he was representing the building Industry instead of the legislative agenda.

“We are 4,000 units short. Even if we built 4,000 houses tomorrow, we would be behind the next day,” said McClain. He said the building industry understands the water and sewer issues and suggested that the BOCC consider higher density due to the increased property values. “With land values now, the lots in Silver Springs Shores were $8,000, but now that same lot is $25,000. You are going to have to look at density and putting water and sewer in,” he said. “When you talk about sprawl, sprawl happens when you do ¼ acre lots everywhere, so you have to find places where we can get the densities right and approve them. That’s just the way it is, otherwise we will continue to sprawl.”

Commissioner Kathy Bryant added some final comments about the future of Marion County:

“Growth is here and it’s happening and we are not stopping growth and I don’t think there is anyone sitting on this Board that has the intention of stopping growth. But I will say for me, I think a lot about it. When I drive down the turnpike and I’ve got to Orlando and you just see the fields of houses – the rooftop after rooftop after rooftop. I don’t want our County to look like that. I’m sorry and I know that there is some development that will look like that, but it doesn’t mean we can’t still  make it a nice place to live. In 20 or 30 years, what kind of legacy are we leaving?”

Protect Against Urban Sprawl

Things are moving fast in Marion County. Horse Farms Forever is a farmland watch dog, attending countless hours of hearings and meetings. When action is required, we are there at the table. Join us to stay informed and ready to respond when public comments are needed. Together we can protect and preserve our open spaces and beautiful places for future generations.

Dig Deeper

Link to the Marion County Administrative Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026: Empowering Marion for Success

VIDEO of the July 7, 2021 BOCC WORKSHOP:
The Planning and Future Growth Element starts at 1:04.52 in the video link.

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.

Join or Donate Now
Future Growth is Here: Map of 36,000 Permitted Residential Units Presented at Budget Planning Workshop

Future Growth is Here: Map of 36,000 Permitted Residential Units Presented at Budget Planning Workshop

by | Feb 11, 2022 | News, Resolved

In this map, available at: https://marioncountyfl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=2dd674d3c3ae4a579e6f64f113873e90, the County projects show as balloons and the City of Ocala as pushpins. Pending permits are yellow and permitted are green. The light green shaded area is the FPA. The bright pink dotted line designates the Urban Growth Boundary. If you go to the map link, a list shows the name of each development project with the date of the approval of the project and number of units for each project. (Click on the Layers tab.)

Staying On Top Of Growth

The Marion County Commission held a Strategic Planning workshop on February 2 to kick-off the annual budgeting process. County staff presented updates on the Financial Projection, Animal Services and Fleet Facilities plan, Health Self-Insurance plan, and a Classification and Compensation Study.

In addition, a map and a list of the residential development projects approved within the last five years in the County and in the City of Ocala, was presented by Tracy Straub, Assistant County Administrator of Public Works and Growth Services.

Straub’s presentation on the County and City development projects was a follow up report on last year’s budget discussions.

“During last year’s budget discussions, and reinforced as we worked on the 5-year Strategic Plan elements of growth, infrastructure and public safety, staff has to consider what is needed to stay on top of the growth,” wrote Straub in an email. “And what we need to consider in our budget requests (more staff, different software, corridor studies by consultants, more fire and sheriff services, etc.). “

Visualize 36,000 Units

The combined list of residential development projects includes: 18,520 planned units that are in the development approved/pending site plan approval stage and 17,646 that are pending building construction stage, for a combined total in Marion County and the City of Ocala of 36,166 residential units.

Infill Growth Planning

The map at the top of this page shows that the majority of the developments are within the Urban Growth Boundary.

There are two approved developments within the Farmland Preservation Area. One was approved in 2015 for 40 houses in the proposed Eagles Creek development off West Hwy 318 near the Levy County line. The second development is located near Orange Lake and is adjacent to the Grand Lake RV resort. Six hundred RV lots are permitted.

Upcoming Further Discussion

The presentation about the number of approved developments was for information purposes only, so no action was taken. The County Commission will hold a workshop within 90 days to further discuss the issue. All departments will attend the workshop so that the entire staff has a complete understanding of the infrastructure issues. The City of Ocala and the municipalities within Marion County, as well as the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership (Ocala CEP) will also be invited to make a presentation at the workshop. The goal is to coordinate and plan on a countywide basis for the necessary infrastructure.

“With everything that has been approved, we need to make sure that we have the proper infrastructure and be able to plan ahead,” said County Commissioner Kathy Bryant. “How to fund law enforcement, EMS, and transportation. This is not in 20 years; it’s in the next five years. We are going to be facing some big issues and if we don’t wrap our arms around it now, it’s going to get away from us.”

Growth Is Here

Marion County is now one of the top 25 fastest growing metro areas. Approximately 150 families a week move here. The population is projected to increase by 150,000 new residents to over 500,000 people in about 20 years. Business is also booming. Over the past 8 years, nearly 10,000 new jobs have been created. This rapid growth is stretching the County’s ability to provide services.

To address the infrastructure needs, every five years, the County adopts a 5-Year Strategic Plan, the Administrative Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026: Empowering Marion for Success, was adopted by the Commission and this plan will guide infrastructure projects for the next five years. In Part 2 of this blog series, we address the Planning and Future Growth Element of the Plan specifically.

Link to the February 2, 2022 Strategic Planning Workshop Agenda and staff reports:

https://marionfl.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=906712&GUID=083026CB-DFAC-4203-851E-C076A4A5C771

Protect Against Urban Sprawl

Things are moving fast in Marion County. Horse Farms Forever is a farmland watch dog, attending countless hours of hearings and meetings. When action is required, we are there at the table. Join us to stay informed and ready to respond when public comments are needed. Together we can protect and preserve our open spaces and beautiful places for future generations.

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.

Join or Donate Now
CR 318/I-75 Interchange Slated for High Density Development – Includes Sunny Oaks RGAC

Zoning 101 – Distinguishing Between a Regional Activity Center and a Rural Activity Center

by | Feb 7, 2022 | News, Resolved

This overview of the Sunny Oaks Regional Activity Center at the intersection of I75 and CR 318 shows zones for an Employment Center, a Commerce District, and a Preservation Area. 

What’s the difference between a Regional Activity Center (RGAC) and a Rural Activity Center (RAC)?

Regional

The “RG” in RGAC stands for Regional. Areas with this zoning emphasize high-density uses and activities. According to the Marion County Comprehensive Plan, Objective 10.3, the Regional Activity Center (RGAC) Overlay is to “allow for compact, high intensity, high density multi-use development which may include a mix of the following uses: retail, office, housing, cultural, recreational and entertainment facilities, hospitality facilities (hotels and motels), and industrial uses that serve a regional area.”

There are two RGACs in Marion County:

  1. Marion Oaks/McGinley on 1,290 acres, which is surrounded by the Marion Oaks Subdivision on the south side of Hwy 484; and
  2. Irvine/Sunny Oaks on 453 acres, which is located on the southeastern corner of the intersection at I-75 and CR 318.

Rural

The “R” in RAC stands for Rural. Areas with this zoning are nodes of commerce, surrounded by rural land, where rural residents can meet every day needs by accessing groceries, feed stores, restaurants and small stores. There are ten Rural Activity Centers (RACs) in Marion County. We covered them extensively in this blog: https://www.horsefarmsforever.com/from-gilberts-hardware-to-dollar-general-rural-activity-centers-in-the-fpa/

The Sunny Oaks RGAC

The Sunny Oaks Planned Unit Development (PUD) is a Regional Activity Center (RGAC) with a developer’s agreement in place. It allows for residential, industrial, and commercial uses.

The Sunny Oaks PUD is labeled as Map 14b1 in the County’s comprehensive plan:

While the property is designated in the comprehensive plan as a RGAC, it must be rezoned from A-1 (General Agriculture) to PUD (Planned Unit Development). This item will be presented on February 7 at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The zoning change is more of a formality rather than a land use change. 

 

Learn More About Sunny Oaks

 

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.

Join or Donate Now
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.

Classic Mile RAC Reconfiguration

Classic Mile RAC Reconfiguration

by | Aug 8, 2021 | Resolved

Classic Mile Farm and Training Center Rural Activity Center

In 1994, about 15 acres of the overall 540-acre property was designated Rural Activity Center (RAC), which allows for limited commercial development in the rural area. The owner of Classic Mile, Mr. Domenic Martelli, has requested that about five acres of the RAC be moved to front along W. Hwy 40, since the current RAC backs up to one of the horse barns and covers over one of the entrances to the farm on SW 140th Avenue.

According to the July 26, 2021, Marion County’s Planning and Zoning Agenda item, the shift of the RAC’s location will create a net increase of about 1.5 acres to result in an overall 15.13-acre RAC. This change to the Future Land Use Designation from Rural Land to RAC is about 5.2 acres. There is a subsequent decrease of RAC back to Rural Land of about 3.7 acres to create a net increase of 1.5 acres designated as RAC. The requested change in the RAC boundary will continue to comply with the RAC designation standards.

If there are no objections, this item will go on the consent agenda for the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on August 17th and be approved.

Here’s a link to the Marion County Calendar. As of August 6, the agenda for the BOCC meeting has not been posted.

https://marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Here’s a link to contact the Marion County Board of County Commissioners:

https://www.marionfl.org/our-county/board-of-county-commissioners

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.
Application Documents
Farmland Is Good For The Bottom Line

Farmland Is Good For The Bottom Line

by | Apr 8, 2021 | News, Plan, Resolved

Do you want both lower taxes and a better quality of life? Encourage the County to plan with the cost to provide community services in mind. 

For three decades, the American Farmland Trust has been researching the fiscal impact of different land uses within municipalities all over the nation. Each land use generates different amounts of revenue because they are taxed at different rates. They also require different expenditures for municipal services. In summary, this is the picture:

From the American Farmland Trust’s Farmland Information Center.
Read the full study here.

New Housing Without Sprawl

Marion County is one of only six counties in the nation that had positive job growth during the pandemic. We are a boomtown. Projects are underway to add 5 million square feet of industrial and warehouse space over the next few years. Where there are jobs, there must be housing to support the growing workforce. The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Florida reports that Marion County is growing by over 2 percent per year. We added 7,700 residents in 2020. That breaks down to 21 people each day. 

Growth is good for a community. The opportunity presented to our County is to grow wisely. When residential sprawl threatens farmland and open space, we all lose. Higher taxes, lower quality of life and the loss of community character and culture are all at stake. The good news is that in Marion County, there is still ample room for residential and commercial development within its designated Urban Growth Boundary. There are about 55 square miles (35,000 acres) of permitted lands available for development in the Urban Growth Boundary – roughly the area of the city of Miami.

In this map of the County, you can see the Farmland Preservation Area in red and the Urban Growth Area in turquoise. The green is protected public land. The brown shaded areas are valuable agricultural soils. Learn more about the Farmland Preservation Area here.

Balancing Act

We are working with elected officials and staff at the County and with supportive community leaders to encourage good planning as Ocala/Marion County grows. Good planning involves identifying where, when, and how development will occur. In 2005, the County had the foresight to create the Farmland Preservation Area as an important first step in protecting land for recreation, farms, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. The challenge is keeping it that way as the pressure grows to break up farmland tracts.

Part of the process is also determining where infrastructure investments make the most sense. Land designated as residential is entitled to roads, schools, water, police, fire, playgrounds and all the other infrastructure components that make a community. This is where a Cost of Community Service (COCS) study would help determine how a proposed land-use change is likely to affect the County budget. Good planning means saying ‘no’ when zoning change requests in rural areas require comparatively expensive infrastructure upgrades as compared to more urban locations.

Saving Farmland Saves Money

While residential development requires expensive public services and infrastructure, privately owned farms do not require significant public infrastructure. Preserving farms and agricultural lands – through good planning and conservation doesn’t just protect our environment, economy and quality of life. It is also an important tool for balancing the budget at the county level.

Photos graciously provided by Elma Garcia Cannavino.

Cost of Community Services studies conducted over the last 30 years show working lands generate more public revenues than they receive back in public services. Their impact on community coffers is similar to that of other commercial and industrial land uses. On average, because residential land uses do not cover their costs, they must be subsidized by other community land uses. Converting agricultural land to residential land use should not be seen as a way to balance local budgets.

American Farmland Trust

Tip the Scales

Our Ocala/Marion County leaders are responsive to the wishes and desires of the community. We have an opportunity to tip the scales in the right direction. If you agree that balancing our farmland and open space with residential growth is an important component in a healthy future for our community, join us. We are watching for threats to farmland, educating about conservation and engaging community leaders in smart planning.

Add your hoofbeats to our herd. Every member makes us stronger and better able to speak out for preserving the character and culture that horses and horse farms bring to Ocala/Marion County for future generations.

Join or Donate Now

Learn More:

Cost of Community Services Studies: Making the Case for Conservation

Go to the American Farmland Trust’s Farmland Information Center and search for “Cost of Community Services” to find a long list of local studies.