Cottages of Ocala will be seeking approval from Marion County officials next month for the proposed construction of 112 cottage-style homes in northwest Ocala.
A rezoning request was presented to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners during its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 21.
The 23.24-acre site is located east of NW 44th Avenue and south of NW Blitchton Road.

The applicant and property owner, McDonald Ventures, LLC, was not present at the meeting. As a result, the commissioners unanimously motioned to move this agenda item to the next regular meeting scheduled on January 4, 2022.
McDonald Ventures was initially seeking to have the property rezoned from B-2 (Community Business) to R-3 (Multiple Family Dwelling).


The commissioners feel that a Planned Unit Development (PUD) would be more appropriate for this request. After a brief discussion among the commissioners, they agreed to waive all fees if the applicant returns within one year with a PUD request instead of a rezoning change application.
The maximum development capacity on this parcel is 185 units. McDonald Ventures has plans to build 112 cottage-style homes comprising of a mix of two bedroom and three-bedroom units, both with two bathrooms. The maximum height of each unit would be 40 feet.

This proposed development would include facilities such as a gazebo, playground, dog park, pavilion, and pool. The proposed open space would be 10.86 acres, which is 47% of the total land, and 314 parking spaces would be provided.
The development would face NW 44th Avenue, so this road would be the main access point for the development. A secondary exit would provide access to U.S. Highway 27.
There is a scheduled extension of NW 44th Avenue to the south that will connect with 40th Street, and an extension to the north that will reach a new I-75 interchange.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium (601 SE 25th Avenue).