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Marion County denies developer request to reclassify 19.75-acre farm for higher-density PUD, citing traffic and safety concerns
Summary
After extensive public comment and traffic analysis, Marion County commissioners voted unanimously to deny a small-scale comprehensive-plan change and related PUD rezoning for a 19.75-acre parcel near SW 80th Street because of intersection safety and capacity concerns.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 16 denied a developer's request to reclassify 19.75 acres from Low Residential to Medium Residential and to rezone the acreage to a planned unit development that would have allowed roughly 72 units in the proposal.
Planning staff presented Case 25S15 and a traffic assessment showing roughly 600 additional daily trips and peak-hour increases tied to the proposed development. County staff and the county engineer flagged the stop-controlled intersection at State Road 200 and SW 80th Street as a particular concern; the intersection analysis showed a failing level of service for the side-street movement without signalization or realignment.
The applicant, engineer Paolo Mastrocerio, said he is negotiating an intersection realignment with FDOT and that DOT has funding for a signal in the corridor. "When I spoke to DOT today, they do have funding for the signal…it's just not on their five-year plan because of this potential realignment," Mastrocerio said, adding that the project itself is responsible for a modest share of total background traffic.
Representatives of On Top of the World and many nearby residents urged denial, citing safety, school capacity and emergency response concerns. An On Top of the World attorney asked the board to require that signalization or a safe realignment be in place before additional units come online. Resident testimony described current delays, near-misses and concerns about horses and pedestrian safety on a narrow county road.
Commissioner Bridal moved to deny the application, saying staff findings on sprawl and infrastructure did not sufficiently mitigate existing capacity and safety problems; Commissioner Stone seconded. The motion to deny carried by voice vote; the board recorded unanimous support for denial. Because the comp-plan amendment failed, the concurrent rezoning application was withdrawn.
The developer may reapply in accordance with local rules; county staff noted reapplication timelines and recommended returning with additional traffic and mitigation commitments if and when the applicant resurfaces the request.
