Multiple ordinances related to a proposed RaceTrac near the Interstate 75, West State Road 40 interchange in Ocala will come up for a final vote next week.
On Tuesday, the Ocala City Council will issue a vote on ordinances to annex, change the future land use designation, and rezone a 5.86-acre property located at 4040 W Silver Springs Boulevard.
The property is owned by B I Realty, LLC, and RaceTrac, Inc. Although a final vote by the council on all of the ordinances related to the project was originally scheduled to take place in September, that vote was delayed multiple times.
The property in question consists of two parcels at the intersection of SW 40th Avenue and W Silver Springs Boulevard.
The site previously featured a motel that was demolished in 2018.
During the November 5 meeting of the council, the agent representing the property owner, Robert W. Batsel, indicated that representatives from RaceTrac were present at the meeting and asked if the council would proceed with a vote.
The council ultimately decided to postpone a vote on the ordinances after determining that the city’s meeting agenda might have led members of the public to believe that a decision on the ordinances would be postponed.
In August, the Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the ordinances.
According to a conceptual plan filed with the county, the new RaceTrac would feature approximately 16 standard gasoline pumps and five “high-powered diesel pumps” with “one-way access.”
If approved, the RaceTrac will be situated near at least eight other gas stations within a mile of the popular interchange. That includes a RaceTrac located at 3211 W Silver Springs Boulevard and a Wawa that opened in 2019.
The Ocala City Council regularly meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 4 p.m. at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue).