Palm Cay Townhomes & Apartments is seeking approval from Marion County officials to rezone four parcels for the construction of 228 apartments and 126 townhomes in southwest Ocala.
The request will be presented to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners during its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 5.
The 37.38-acre site consists of four parcels that are located to the north and south of SW 106th Place, approximately 500 feet east of State Road 200, and between State Road 200 and the Palm Cay subdivision.
The proposed site is currently timberland or forested property with the exception of one parcel, which is the right-of-way access to the Palm Cay subdivision.
The property owners, PC 200-1, PC 200-2, and PC 200-3, LLC — along with applicant Kimley-Horn — are seeking a rezoning of the land from B-4 (Regional Business) to PUD (Planned Unit Development).
The applicant is proposing a maximum number of 354 residential units. Under the proposal, 228 apartments would be located on the northern portion of the site and 126 townhomes would be located on the southern portion. The development would not include an age restriction.
The apartment buildings would consist of 24 or 36 units and be up to three stories in height. The townhomes would include a series of four-, five-, and six-unit structures, up to two stories in height, and each unit would have a one-car garage and a driveway to accommodate another vehicle.
Amenities for the proposed development would include a clubhouse and pool for apartment residents, and an amenity center with a pool for townhome residents. The conceptual plan for the development also provides for 14 acres of open space. According to county staff, details have not been specified for the clubhouse and amenity center at this time, and further details would need to be provided in the developer’s Master Plan.
In addition to the rezoning request, a companion amendment has also been submitted to change the future land use designation for approximately 17.4 acres of the site, located to the north, from Commercial to Urban Residential. The current land use designation does not provide for sufficient density to accommodate the number of apartments that are being requested.
Access to the proposed development would be provided by SW 106th Place. This is an existing paved access easement that also serves the Palm Cay subdivision to the east. The applicant submitted a traffic analysis which projected 2,346 daily trips for this site, including a projected 133 peak morning trips and 173 peak evening trips.
According to county staff, State Road 200 is currently at 61 percent utilization at 36,700 daily trips with a capacity of up to 59,900 daily trips (based on a 2020 traffic count). County staff has estimated that the development would add approximately 2,636 daily trips based on the proposed 354 multi-family units.
County staff is recommending approval of the rezoning request and future land use designation amendment with developmental conditions that include the following:
- The apartment and townhome development areas must be operated and managed as a singular commonly owned rental development without individual unit ownership.
- All townhome units must include a one-car garage at minimum.
- Emergency access points to the proposed development must be provided.
- The Master Plan for the development must include bus stops or bus pullouts for school buses and/or public transportation.
- The Master Plan must also include final amenity provision details (clubhouse, pool, playground, play area, etc.).
The rezoning request and land use designation amendment will be presented to the county commissioners for approval or denial during their upcoming regular meeting on Tuesday, April 5 at the McPherson Governmental Complex, which is located at 601 SE 25th Avenue in Ocala.