Planning and Zoning Commission backs land-use and zoning changes to allow sports complex at Golden Ocala World Equestrian Center

Ocala, Fla. — The Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday recommended approval of three related applications from the Golden Ocala World Equestrian Center (WEC) to add sports facilities, change about 250 acres of future land use fronting State Road 40, and amend the site's PUD to accommodate new fields, an indoor events building and additional hotel rooms.

The commission voted to transmit a text amendment that would expand the WEC future‑land‑use definition to explicitly allow sports facilities, followed by a separate vote to transmit a map amendment changing roughly 250 acres from low‑residential to the WEC designation, and then to recommend approval of the companion PUD amendment. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Mike Behar moved the text amendment recommendation, Andy Bonner seconded, and the motions carried on voice votes.

Why it matters: The proposals would let WEC add multiple synthetic and natural turf fields, multipurpose diamonds, a championship soccer field, an indoor multi‑sport event building and about 300 additional hotel rooms to the Golden Ocala campus. Proponents say the complex would attract tournaments and out‑of‑town visitors who would use on‑site hotels, restaurants and retail, producing measurable economic activity and supporting year‑round use of WEC facilities. Opponents warned the changes would intensify commercial development adjacent to existing horse farms and the county's farmland preservation area, raising concerns about noise, lights, traffic and water demand.

What staff and applicants told the commission: Chris Rising of Growth Services presented the…