City officials will look to rezone a 7.8-acre parcel of land in order to build a new fire station in northwest Ocala, which will mark the city’s eighth.
This week, two ordinances related to the proposed Fire Station 8 will be introduced during the Ocala City Council meeting held on Tuesday, September 3.
The first ordinance is to rezone the 7.8-acre property, which is located approximately 300 feet south of the U.S. Highway 27 and NW 45th Terrace intersection, from B-4 (General Business) to G-U (Governmental Use). With the second ordinance, the city seeks to change this property’s future land use designation from “Low Intensity” to “Public.”
Earlier this year, on January 16, city council members unanimously approved an agreement between the City of Ocala (buyer) and Armstrong Land, LLC (seller) to purchase the 7.8-acre parcel for $612,000.
The seller is associated with the nearby Heath Preserve single-family subdivision, which is located south of the property.
Multiple parcels were analyzed for the new fire station, and city staff felt that the 7.8-acre site was best suited for it. The city intends to construct the station on the northern portion of the parcel, since this 3.6-acre area has been deemed “suitable for development.”
According to city staff, the rezoning and future land use ordinances are both “compatible” with Fire Station 8. The new station is expected to improve response times and better serve businesses and residences located in the “rapidly developing NW 44th Avenue (area) of the city.”
Specifically, Fire Station 8 will serve the Heath Preserve development to the south, as well as commercial properties to the east, properties to the north, properties located further to the east on the other side of Interstate 75, and properties developing off of NW 44th Avenue.
After the rezoning and land use ordinances have been introduced to city council members during this week’s meeting, a second and final reading will be held on Tuesday, September 17. During this second reading, city council members will vote on whether to approve or deny these ordinances.
City staff recommends approval, citing that the development of Fire Station 8 will “enhance the ability to provide fire services for citizens and businesses in the surrounding area by improving response times.”
The Ocala City Council regularly meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue).