Submitted By: Emily Johnson
Presentation By: Emily Johnson
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Department: Growth Management
FORMAL TITLE (Motion Ready):
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Ordinance 2026-2 to change the future land use designation on approximately 10.36 acres (Parcel 21454-000-00) located at 2500 NW 31st Avenue from Medium Intensity/Special District to Employment Center (Case LUC25-0005) (Quasi-Judicial)
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OCALA'S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Quality of Place.
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
* Applicant: Friends Recycling LLC
* Property Owner: Friends Recycling LLC
* Agent: Austin Dailey, Klein & Klein PLLC
Key Points:
* The petitioner is requesting to change the future land use designation for the subject property from Medium Intensity/Special District to Employment Center, which the owner acquired as part of a land swap with the city in 2024.
* The subject property was designated as Medium Intensity/Special District to encourage redevelopment efforts following the adoption of the 2035 Vision.
* On October 21, 2025, the Ocala City Council approved the transmittal to state agencies for review of a proposed future land use amendment for the adjacent properties under the same ownership. This amendment included the same request for a future land use change from their current designation of Medium Intensity/Special District to Employment Center for properties containing an existing Construction and Demolition (C&D) Landfill and a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
Zoning and Land Use Details:
For consideration of the future land use amendment, there are several key factors to consider:
* The proposed Employment Center future land use is more consistent with the anticipated development in the surrounding area.
* The proposed Employment Center future land use is consistent with nearby development to the west, such as the Ocala-Marion County Commerce Park.
* City utilities already service the existing industrial and neighboring uses.
Planning and Zoning Commission:
The proposed la...
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