[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6603626,"mediaKeyId","2999875-e2472ced50cc1bd73c01c59d677637d5","parentId",2999875,"title","Commissioners deny rezoning for Kenway Rockwood Grove after neighbors raise landfill contamination, well‑water and safety concerns","audioSeconds",1268,"startMs",2552000,"endMs",3820000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2999875-e2472ced50cc1bd73c01c59d677637d5&start=2552&end=3820","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2999875-e2472ced50cc1bd73c01c59d677637d5/thumbnail_2552000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6603626/Marion-County/Florida/Commissioners-deny-rezoning-for-Kenway-Rockwood-Grove-after-neighbors-raise-landfill-contamination-wellwater-and-safety-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6603626-7115504b2a2951e6b46a8592b02afaee/orig.mp4?Expires=1772463780&Signature=Q6PjrynQptalgz9R4W1~vhMDFBBjKg4sETTEynYCwUwJRDaa4KKZKIhr~3ghhDImuSTJSyjgykCxFdCYaNfV-aI0HAKSJDkIkkmOJNtHBQ0K448Abof1uUC5ZJ3y5CGQmFFJdrc9nv-ikTTYGYACd0dgt0~e-BfzSKYN4bi3-rKNxK0hCVcHkVuCOM4X22~n-tbIoTMPpCpGurkS9-7~VlfTK6XX2N~5QXrP0NnzJaWMX0IQ9y8IPwYqnZDo-gey3lh7rJfZQfMaLkDmCJ9km7NivPz95JC9EWxiU0~20qC40I7iK20~My1CPE7~bvP45swpKfw0BJIbYz6d7EZa9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Marion County","date","2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","article","The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously April 15 to deny a rezoning request that would have allowed 73 single‑family lots (Kenway Rockwood Grove) on land that includes a closed construction and debris landfill commonly called Castle Rock.

Lede: Commissioners cited public‑safety and information‑gaps concerns raised during a lengthy public record — in particular the site’s history of unpermitted dumping and the absence of completed soil‑and‑groundwater permitting for reuse — as grounds to deny the request for PUD zoning.

Nut graf: County staff, the applicant’s engineer and the county engineer discussed engineering, monitoring and drainage plans the applicant said would be used to make the site suitable for development. But multiple nearby residents, veterinarians with a hospital adjacento the site and an environmental attorney argued the record does not yet include the necessary soil testing, DEP approvals for excavation or clear demonstration the former landfill was remediated to a standard suitable for homes. The board denied the rezoning.

What happened at the meeting: Growth‑services staff summarized the application, noting the developer proposed 73 detached homes with on‑site amenities and said the site had a previously completed DEP closure plan and a series of groundwater monitoring reports. The applicant’s engineer described how homes and roads would be built to meet standard road, foundation and stormwater engineering requirements and said the site passed DEP closure and monitoring procedures.

Neighbors and Peterson & Smith Equine Hospital personnel strongly objected. Multiple witnesses and affidavits described repeated unlawful disposal at Castle Rock in the 1990s and 2000s — tires, paint cans, refrigeration units, drums, automotive fluids and other materials — and cited DEP enforcement records and photos documenting violations. Neighbors said the landfill was deep in places, that fill included unacceptable materials and that local wells and public health are a concern. An environmental attorney for nearby landowners said state administrative rules require consultation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection before excavation or development of closed landfill sites and argued that consultation and any required DEP approvals should be in hand before the county grants zoning entitlements.

The applicant said the landfill had been closed under a 2017 DEP closure plan and that the developer will perform required testing and engineered importation and compaction where needed; the engineer said the project team would perform geotechnical testing and build road subgrades and house footings to meet county engineering standards. But commissioners said the public record contained inadequate, site‑specific soil sampling and DEP permits for excavation and disposal to support immediate rezoning and vested rights. Commissioner comments prioritized neighborhood safety, clear DEP approvals for reuse, and that the county should not grant entitlements where core environmental questions remained open.

Outcome and next steps: The board denied the rezoning application unanimously. Commissioners and staff said an applicant may return with the necessary DEP consultation, site testing and a clearer remediation/excavation plan; any later application would need to address groundwater and soil testing and provide the DEP approvals that staff and counsel identified as necessary to support development on a closed landfill.

Ending: The decision leaves the property in its current zoning (agricultural) and requires the applicant to complete environmental and permitting steps before seeking comparable zoning in the future.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Marion County - Board of County Commissioners on 2025-04-15 9:00 AM - Apr 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously April 15 to deny a rezoning request that would have allowed 73 single‑family lots on land that includes a closed construction and debris landfill commonly called Castle Rock.","taxTitle","Marion County, Florida","taxId",4897,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6603631,"Marion County approves Emerson Point buffer changes after developer saves trees and adds fences",351,2465000,2816000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2999875-e2472ced50cc1bd73c01c59d677637d5&start=2465&end=2816","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2999875-e2472ced50cc1bd73c01c59d677637d5/thumbnail_2465000.jpg","/articles/6603631/Marion-County/Florida/Marion-County-approves-Emerson-Point-buffer-changes-after-developer-saves-trees-and-adds-fences","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6603631-97dfc74633d0924fab42419cfb36726b/orig.mp4?Expires=1772463780&Signature=hChZoOrUs4UUsIBCwCfTKFCNq04dG-3NqQJV2xK~cKNHmoWeR-IMobrVuGkMYIgnKyY-bN52Xbj6oRqqZxzXpjBJnJ0MujO9pfC6wUGkJbF9sX4Djcwgew07EuEqj6WS-ItgTvBSmGKEjTSCznnVkOLPkjLAiQovqg8edo5G-XKIhv9QqKEYjE32rhZ-pc2KxhWpl4-1EzcareicqBk81d7TMs8ZK4DyZScxNO7OjjukCQZRQ4P-BGOnj3mX64-ndXf33sJ4uC1CjXBZRb81IdRnKNIJNfXJ8K1EvdZJLpJxnWoF~gDurJTeg1akOdtn19QKIe-915ZA3OdgI0il8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Marion County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved changes April 15 to buffer and fencing requirements at Emerson Point, a planned unit development east of Northeast 20th Street and north of Northeast 30th Avenue, after the developer demonstrated preserved vegetation and agreed to complete privacy fencing in several locations.

Why it matters: Emerson Point is a multi‑phase residential PUD where portions already are platted and under construction. Buffering and planting requirements at project edges determine how the new development will interface with adjacent subdivisions and conservation areas and affect privacy, noise and visual separation for neighbors.

Growth‑services staff told the board the requested revisions do not change the underlying PUD or the maximum unit count; rather, they modify several perimeter buffer treatments and confirm where fencing and plantings will be installed. Developer representatives showed site photographs and survey work demonstrating existing tree preservation along the property’s northeast edge and proposed a mix of fencing and new plantings in locations where the power‑line easement limits planting depth.

Parks staff reviewed the site and noted significant saved trees in the northwestern areas and said the revised approach would maintain a substantial natural edge in places where planting was feasible. Commissioners asked staff to reword one condition that referenced the master‑plan approval so the record shows the master plan is in place and the county’s required post‑approval confirmations remain on the record. The commission voted unanimously to approve the buffer modifications with that clarified wording.

Ending: The changes will be recorded as a PUD amendment and implemented during ongoing subdivision and site‑work operations; staff will confirm buffer plantings and completed fencing during site inspections.","The county approved a developer request to modify buffer and fencing requirements at the Emerson Point planned unit development after staff and Parks staff confirmed preserved vegetation and adjustments to the master plan. The board approved the change with a single wording clarification to a previously required master‑plan condition.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6603635,"Marion County schedules second hearing on Florida Crossroads commerce park agreement after debate over road-impact credits",68,236000,304000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2999875-e2472ced50cc1bd73c01c59d677637d5&start=236&end=304","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2999875-e2472ced50cc1bd73c01c59d677637d5/thumbnail_236000.jpg","/articles/6603635/Marion-County/Florida/Marion-County-schedules-second-hearing-on-Florida-Crossroads-commerce-park-agreement-after-debate-over-road-impact-credits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6603635-65c9098cf550b146c2b8ab7bfdb81ff1/orig.mp4?Expires=1772463780&Signature=kSXeAJVMNxiYueVUb-X6KdruRmfxjKhgPHwCQyxAxqmqsBpyhwWGFR7TnxRKJvfZHUVbZ3EkIBsztR8odVb7MJ9gk0ikj7zdCXTSar~wboogJC3u15dpoDEPtJ55UpZJtc5RQhmL~O7ojBM4DSLygsb-dD6OFuFiSqqqHALWOVT~lUyqL3VCLjsiGMIOKtmFy-eKwL2x2yxNrOEZ2iV7qTnwl8AkGL-0wx28HnjWR~p6PG9NTGmgTagawF9U8Axhfz63g4krhx4sPaLPmne8W537Ci86Bu8ooAQRcbxhjdBICoC6RUJJvycDInALK~tkK1d3wJZnuLRw92vOIYUNWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Marion County Board of County Commissioners opened a first public hearing April 15 on a draft development agreement for the Florida Crossroads Commerce Park Phase 2 that would require developer-funded intersection improvements along State Road 44 at Southwest 40th Avenue and at 50th Avenue.

The agreement under consideration would record required turn‑lane and median work tied to the park’s future industrial and commercial uses. Growth‑services staff described the proposal as supplemental to an existing 2019 agreement and said the county typically may grant impact‑fee credits for developer‑installed public improvements that are listed in the county’s capital plan; the Crossroads improvements are not on the five‑year TIP but staff said the corridor benefit makes credits reasonable.

Why it matters: the work at SR‑44/40th and SR‑44/50th would alter traffic flow on a busy county arterial and is intended to accommodate truck and employee traffic tied to the commerce park. The county’s decision on credits affects how quickly needed improvements get built and whether the developer will receive monetary credit toward future county impact fees.

The core disagreement at the hearing was the proposed duration for impact‑fee credits. County code gives a 5‑year default credit window; the applicant requested a 20‑year window. Attorney Jimmy Gooding, representing the developer, said the longer term is customary for large projects and urged the board to approve up to 20 years so credits are available if buildout is delayed. County Engineer Stephen Cahoon said staff is comfortable with either a 10‑ or 20‑year term for this project but warned the commission should be prudent about routinely approving windows far longer than the code’s default because long credit commitments increase tracking and administrative burden.

No final vote was taken. Commissioners directed staff to return the development agreement for a second public hearing and formal action; the board confirmed May 6 at 10:00 a.m. as the next hearing date. County staff will continue to work with the applicant on final language, and the commission flagged the credit‑duration issue as the primary item for the follow‑up hearing.

Ending: The May 6 hearing will be the deciding public hearing on the Crossroads development agreement; the record will include the April 15 staff presentation, the developer’s proposal, and any new data or conditions the county requests between hearings.","The Board heard a developer’s agreement for the Florida Crossroads Commerce Park Phase 2 focused on intersection improvements on SR‑44 and debated whether the county should allow up to 20 years of impact‑fee credits for developer-funded turn‑lane and median work. Commissioners set a second public hearing for May 6 to decide the agreement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners deny rezoning for Kenway Rockwood Grove after neighbors raise landfill contamination, well‑water and safety concerns

Marion County approves Emerson Point buffer changes after developer saves trees and adds fences

Marion County schedules second hearing on Florida Crossroads commerce park agreement after debate over road-impact credits