Carson Brothers LLC gained land use and rezoning approval from Marion County commissioners this week towards the expansion of its local used automotive parts business.
Carson Brothers received approval for the request from the Marion County Board of County Commissioners during its regular meeting on Tuesday.
The 5.88-acre subject property is comprised of multiple parcels located on the southeast corner of SW 80th Avenue and State Road 40 in Ocala.
The land use will be changed from Commercial and Low Density Residential to Commerce District.
The land will be also be rezoned from A-1 (General Agriculture) to B-5 (Heavy Business) to accommodate the warehouse and office expansions.
The business was founded in 1957 and recently expanded its enclosed storage capacity in 2013 with the addition of an enclosed metal frame warehouse for storing parts.
Continued growth of the business has started to exceed the capacity of the added warehouse, and the planned expansion looks to add three additional warehouses to store auto parts along with an additional office building.
Each of the warehouses will have enclosed and landscaped exteriors and will be required to have buffers consisting of 15 or 20 feet.
Access to the business will be entirely from SW 80th Avenue and State Road 40, with the exception of a small cross-over connection between the existing parcel and a new parcel containing one of the additional warehouses.
The business also plans on establishing access to SW 78th Court.
A formal traffic analysis has not been performed for the site but county staff estimates that the expansion could generate around 240 daily trips.
Jeremy Carson, one of the owners, described his business to the commissioners. He stated that he is third generation and his company provides a service to the community by allowing the sale of used parts at a discounted rate.
Carson highlighted that his business hires people that typically struggle to find employment, such as former inmates. He stated his business pays former inmates well at around $15 an hour, and giving them a good job is a way to keep them from winding up back in prison.
Carson mentioned that the extra warehouses are needed to house engines, transmissions, and other parts. He also stated that the business is seeking rezoning to B-5 to avoid having to come before the commissioners every three to five years to request a special use permit.
The commissioners took separate votes on the proposed land use and zoning changes. The land use change (from Commercial and Low Density Residential to Commerce District) was unanimously approved.
The commissioners voted three-to-one in favor of the zoning change, with Chairman Carl Zalak, III being the only dissenting vote.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium (601 SE 25th Avenue).