Board approves Melody Preserve rezoning; developer to dedicate right‑of‑way and extend shared path

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners on March 18 approved a rezoning and planned‑unit‑development amendment to create Melody Preserve, a single‑family, age‑restricted neighborhood annexed into the Bay Laurel PUD. The board voted unanimously to adopt the amendment after staff presentations and a developer briefing.

What the board approved

The developer asked the board to annex roughly 44.25 acres into the existing Bay Laurel PUD (also known as Bay Laurel / Waybourn Landing), to reallocate entitlements already approved for Bay Laurel and to create a single‑family neighborhood called Melody Preserve. The applicant said the change does not increase the total number of units authorized in the Bay Laurel PUD — it reallocates those entitlements to the newly annexed parcel.

Key project particulars

The Melody Preserve site is near the intersection of Southwest Eightieth Avenue and Southwest Eightieth Street and is proposed as an age‑restricted single‑family community. The applicant proposed 161 units on the newly annexed parcel and 233 total units within the Melody Preserve area when combined with existing PUD land already in Bay Laurel. County staff said the annexed parcel works out to about 3.6 units per acre.

Conditions and transportation requirements

As a condition of approval, the board required dedication of additional right‑of‑way on Southwest Eightieth Street so the county can ultimately achieve a 120‑foot right‑of‑way for the corridor; staff and the applicant will finalize the form of conveyance (fee simple or easement) acceptable to the county engineer. Commissioners also adopted a condition that a shared‑use path or multi‑use trail be extended along the site’s Southwest Eightieth Street frontage to improve pedestrian and golf‑cart connectivity to adjacent On Top of the World amenities; staff and the applicant agreed to study the safest alignment and the county engineer will review crossing design for any golf‑cart or bicycle connections.

Public safety and utilities

County staff advised the board that some nearby fire‑suppression and transport (ambulance) units are operating at high utilization and that additional fire suppression and transport capacity may be warranted as the area grows. Staff noted the Melody Preserve area will be served by Marion County utilities (water and sewer) and that the project will follow concurrency and impact‑fee rules; the applicants indicated they may seek impact‑fee credits for right‑of‑way and other improvements.

Planning context and board discussion

Staff and the applicant emphasized that no new residential entitlements are being added countywide; rather, the motion reallocates Bay Laurel PUD entitlements onto the annexed Melody Preserve parcel. Planning staff concluded the amendment meets the county’s comprehensive‑plan criteria for consistency, compatibility and public interest. Commissioners asked transportation and engineering staff to review operational analyses and to verify pedestrian and golf‑cart crossing safety at the proposed connections to Southwest Eightieth Street.

Outcome

The board approved the PUD amendment and rezoning unanimously and asked county engineering and growth‑services staff to finalize technical conditions such as right‑of‑way conveyance language, the multi‑use path alignment, and traffic‑study follow‑up before the applicant’s major site‑plan review.

Speakers

Jessica Iserman — Attorney for On Top of the World Communities (applicant) Ken Metcalfe — Planning representative for applicant Robert Stepp — On Top of the World Communities representative Chris Bridal — County staff member (growth services/planning) Amber Gardner/Stephen Cahoon — County engineering staff (transportation/PER follow‑up)

Clarifying details

Annexed acreage: 44.25 acres (approximate) added into Bay Laurel PUD boundary. Unit counts: 161 units proposed on the new annexed parcel; 233 units overall for Melody Preserve when parcel is combined with adjacent PUD lands; total Bay Laurel entitlements unchanged (2,951 units authorized previously across the PUD). Right‑of‑way: Board required additional right‑of‑way dedication along Southwest Eightieth Street sufficient for a future 120‑foot cross‑section; form of conveyance to be determined by county engineer. Multi‑use path: Board required an extension of a shared‑use path along Eightieth Street; exact alignment and any golf‑cart crossing designs will be approved by the county engineer following an operational traffic study.

Ending

County staff will work with the applicant to finalize right‑of‑way conveyance, the traffic‑study deliverables and the multi‑use path design before permit and final site‑plan approvals. The board’s action reallocates, but does not add, residential entitlements for the Bay Laurel PUD.