Despite comments from multiple Marion County residents and a petition with 600 signatures against the rezoning of a former horse farm in northeast Ocala, the county’s planning commission recommended approval of a new, 300-home development for the 77-acre the site.
A request to rezone Sutton Ranch, the proposed development, was discussed during the most recent meeting of the Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday, January 27.
Located at 3922 NE Jacksonville Road in Ocala, the site is situated less than a mile northeast of Vanguard High School.
The property is owned by Alluja, LLC, which is registered to Shirley and John Rudnianyn, according to state records.
Alluja, LLC has been represented by Tillman & Associates Engineering, LLC throughout the application process.
Together, the group is asking the county to rezone an expired planned unit development for the 77.52-acre site to allow for the construction of a maximum of 310 single-family residential homes.
According to county records, the property was most recently approved for a PUD in 2009. At the time, the approval granted construction of up to 240 homes.
The conceptual plan for the newly proposed Sutton Ranch shows the community will offer homes that are no taller than 40 feet high and will feature at least 20% open space.
Sutton Ranch will also offer several amenities, including a playground, a dog park, a pocket park, and a walking trail.
Marion County property records show that Alluja, LLC, purchased the property for $548,200 in September 2013 from Double D Ranch, LLC, a now-defunct company owned by Daniel Downey, Sr., and Angela D. Soto.
During the public comments portion of the meeting on Monday, multiple residents took to the podium to share their concerns.
“My area that I live in is very quiet. And, personally, I want it to stay that way,” said Linda Decker, an Ocala resident. Decker said her number one concern was “traffic on NE 35th Street,” citing other developments that have sprouted up nearby, like Millwood Estates.
Decker also suggested that the additional development would strain infrastructure, including the school system, the electrical grid, and the water systems in the area.
Lauren Brown, another Ocala resident, presented the commission with a petition that she created through Change.org in opposition to the proposed rezoning request.
“As residents along the perimeter and within the northeast section of Ocala, we need to stand against the development of 3922 NE Jacksonville Rd, by not allowing a zoning change. The property does not need to hold more houses, developments, or commercial developments in the future,” reads the petition published by Brown.
The document cites Emerson Pointe, which recently had its second phase green-lit, and new apartments nearby as additional developments that make Sutton Ranch unnecessary.
“It’s time we voice our concern as the people of Marion County. Let’s stand for the preservation of rural heritage, the conservation of natural beauty, and for sustainable, mindful development that takes into account the delicate balance between our needs and those of nature around us,” reads the petition. “There are foxes, coyotes, hawks, an eagle that has been visiting, gopher tortoise, swallow-tailed kites that return every year and nest in the trees and so much more wildlife that is being pushed by the over-development.”
As of Tuesday evening, the document had gathered around 600 verified signatures.
To sign the petition, visit Change.org.
Earlier this year, over 2,000 residents signed a petition against overdevelopment. That petition resulted in a meeting between the creator and a Marion County Board of County Commissioner.
After additional comments during the meeting on Monday, including a discussion between the applicant and the commission, the group voted 4 to 3 to recommend approval of the rezoning.
Regardless of the recommendation from the planning and zoning commission, the rezoning request will come before the Marion County Board of County Commissioners for a final vote during an upcoming meeting in February, according to the county’s staff report.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the McPherson Governmental Complex (601 SE 25th Avenue).
