Commissioners deny request to rezone Ocala parcel to manufactured-housing park

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to deny an application to rezone a 2.51-acre parcel at 5727 Southeast 207th Avenue in Ocala from Mixed Residential (R-4) to Manufactured Housing Park (PMH), case 250805CC, at the Aug. 18, 2025, Planning and Zoning meeting.

Kathleen Bignoli of Growth Services presented staff's review. She said the parcel has a high-residential future land-use designation and is currently developed with multiple mobile homes; the site is served by private well and septic and is reached by a dirt access road. Bignoli noted that under current Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health rules, sites with more than six units may require an on-site water-treatment plant; under a medium-residential designation, the parcel could be developed at densities that would allow as many as about 20 units.

Bignoli said the same request was brought before the board in 1998 and was denied by planning and zoning and by the board then. Staff recommended denial on the basis that the rezoning would introduce a higher intensity land use dissimilar to surrounding single-family and agricultural properties, raise infrastructure concerns (lack of paved roads, water and sewer), and conflict with comprehensive-plan provisions and the county's land-development code.

No applicant representative appeared at the meeting. Commissioner Zalick moved to deny the application; Commissioner McLean seconded. Commissioners cited the record, staff findings, and lack of evidence presented by the applicant to support changing the zoning. The board voted 5-0 to deny the application.

The denial preserves the property's current zoning and leaves infrastructure requirements in place; any future change would require new evidence demonstrating compatibility and feasible infrastructure solutions.