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Final Comments Due August 2nd

Over 200 people attended the workshops on July 14 and 15 about the SW/NW 80th/70th Avenue road-widening project. Marion County’s Deputy County Engineer, Donald Atwell and representatives from Guerra Development Corporation presented several options for the proposed improvements, which include expanding the current roadway to a four-lane road with bike lanes, pedestrian walks, and a grass median.

Wednesday’s meeting focused on the road improvements that are south of SR 40. Thursday’s meeting focused on the road improvements north of SR 40.

Deputy County Engineer Atwell emphasized the importance of submitting formally written comments so that suggested changes could be considered for the road’s design. “This is the time to make a comment, whether you like the project or not,” said Deputy County Engineer Atwell. The deadline for comments is August 2nd and they must be submitted on the Comment Form and sent via email, or mail to the address on the Comment Form.

Paul Wildman, P.E., for Guerra Development Corporation, made the presentation about the road improvements. The road improvements start at SW 90th Street and end about .5 mile north of US 27 on CR 225A. The total length is about 10.5 miles. It will be expanded to a 120’ divided four-lane roadway with options for pedestrian use paths. Alternative A is the recommended design. The road improvements are funded by the Penny Sales Tax funds that are administered by Marion County.

With the opening of the World Equestrian Center, and several existing and planned large residential developments, the road improvements are needed. Traffic is projected to increase to 37,500 trips per day. The additional capacity will help maintain the level of service and increase the safety of the road for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

A new road is also planned to connect CR 225A to the new interchange being built by the Florida Department of Transportation at NW 49th Street.

Three Sections

The road project will be divided into three sections, but only two of the three sections are funded.

  • Segment 1: From SW 90th to just north of Westport High School is funded and construction is expected to start within the next three years.
  • Segment 2: Just north of Westport High School to south of SR 40, but this section is not funded and funding is not anticipated for at least 5 years.
  • Segment 3: Just north of SR 40 to US 27 is funded and construction will start within the next three to five years.
  • In addition, two new intersection improvements at SR 40 and US 27 are funded. The intersection at SR 40 is likely to go to construction this year. The intersection at US 27 will go to construction any day now.

Questions From the Floor

After the presentation several residents asked questions, which are summarized below:

QUESTION: Why not use 60th, which is already a four lane road?

ANSWER: Both roads are needed. The traffic study looked out 20 years at a 2045 horizon and determined that the road will have to be four-laned. All of the new the development is occurring on NW/SW 80th Avenue and if the road is left as a two-lane road, the level of service will go down significantly. There is a lot of active development along the corridor – Stone Creek, Bay Laurel, Calesa, World Equestrian Center, and On Top of the World.

The SW/NW 80th/70th Avenue is a corridor and this is part of the long-range transportation plan. Marion County will need to have more than 60th Avenue as a four-lane road. There will be additional projects around this to accommodate the traffic. It’s better to build the project before it’s too late. It’s far better to do it now.

QUESTION: What will be done to address the noise and safety?

ANSWER: Noise barriers are not standard for this type of road, but Guerra will submit this question to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration. This would be a change in policy. There are valid concerns about the intersection at SW 38th Street. Marion County Commissioner Michelle Stone has requested that this intersection be evaluated to address the safety and access issues.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

  • Can you combine Alternative A and Alternative B and make the road oscillate more instead of just one Alternative?
  • Could you remove one of the 14’ multi use paths and only have one 14’ multi use path on one side of the road? This will decrease the total width of the road.

Dig Deeper:

This is the time to make a comment, whether you like the project or not.

Donald Atwell

Deputy County Engineer, Marion County

Fill Out The Comment Form

Please submit comments or questions by August 2. It’s easy! Just fill out the Comment Form online, save it as a PDF, and email it to: GDCPER@guerracorp.net

You can either email it to the address above or mail the printed form it to: Paul Wildman, P.E., Guerra Development Corp. 2817 NE 3rd Street, Ocala, FL 34470.

After these two meetings, another workshop will be scheduled with the Marion 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.

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