A church that operates a sober living facility for men in need is seeking permission from city officials to rezone a separate property in southeast Ocala to create a similar program for local women on the road to recovery.
A rezoning request for the 4.63-acre property at 1712 SE Lake Weir Avenue in Ocala will be read into record during the Ocala City Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, October 1.
The property is owned by the Board of Trustees of the FL Annual Conference of The United Methodist. According to a report prepared by city staff, the property owner is hoping to rezone the site, which formerly housed Druid Hills United Methodist Church, from Institution (INST) to Limited Community Business (B-2).
The group is hoping to renovate and operate the facility as an extension of Open Arms Village, which is a local sober living program. The proposed facility would have 16 beds and would not provide any medical services to its residents, according to city staff.
During that meeting, multiple residents shared their concerns about the proposed facility, citing its proximity to several local schools and neighborhoods with children.
According to its website, Open Arms Village was founded over a decade ago to combat homelessness through transitional housing and supportive services. Over the past decade, nearly 500 individuals have successfully completed the program and secured permanent housing and jobs.
The organization currently operates a facility at 1839 NE 8th Road in Ocala. That facility has been used exclusively for men.
The new facility would provide a similar service to women in need across the community.
According to records, multiple letters against the proposed rezoning ordinance have been received by city staff.
In one such letter, local resident Craig Turner says the facility is not “appropriate for the area” and that it may lead to “problems and loss in property values” to the surrounding areas.
“Ironically, the proposal would allow a non-tax paying entity to cause a reduction in property values for the tax-paying property owners that surround the property,” reads the letter from Turner.
In a separate letter from resident Laura Duncan, the grandparent says she has grandchildren that attend two schools nearby and that a “transitional recovery facility” is not a “good idea” in the neighborhood in question.
During the PZC meeting in early September, Jim Knoepfel, the principal at St. John’s Lutheran School, said that although he encouraged and supported the church and its “sense of compassion,” he believed the facility was too close to his school and several others in close proximity.
During that same meeting, several other residents echoed the principal’s concerns, with some saying the rezoning change could open up the site for other types of businesses or services in the future.
In defense of the facility, Pastor Jill Beck, who is the director at Open Arms Village and the pastor of United Methodist Church, said the organization had never had a call for service. She said the facility’s case manager was skilled at discerning which individuals were a good fit for the program.
Currently, Open Arms Village accepts about one in seven applicants. All applicants are subjected to background checks and must remain sober throughout their stay.
Members are provided mental health and substance abuse counseling during their stay and are subjected to drug tests. The group does not house or provide services to men with severe mental health issues.
Although the rezoning ordinance will be read into city record during Tuesday’s meeting, it is not scheduled for a final vote until the council’s second meeting of the month on Tuesday, October 15.
The Ocala City Council regularly meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue).
