A 21-acre property located near the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park was rezoned by city officials this week, clearing the way for the development of a new townhome community that may feature as many as 252 residential units.
The Ocala City Council approved a request to rezone a small portion of the property located at 2495 NW 21st Street during its regular meeting on Tuesday. The measure was approved 4-0, with councilwoman Kristen Dreyer abstaining from the vote due to her business interests in the property as a real estate broker.
The property is comprised of two parcels that are currently undeveloped and heavily wooded.
Approximately 14 acres of the 16-acre tract at the property was already zoned for multi-family residential (R-3) housing. Accordingly, the rezoning request covered the remaining 2+/- acres, as well as the other parcel, which was previously zoned institutional.
The rezoning establishes a “consistent use and standards for the entire subject property area,” according to a city staff report.
According to property records, the site is owned by New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church & The Trustees of the New St. John Missionary Baptist Church. The developer is SKC Development, LLC.
In October, the Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval to rezone the property.
During that meeting, the attorney representing the property owner, Robert W. Batsel, Jr., indicated that the developer was deciding between a paired villa style and a “townhome product” at the site. The attorney suggested that it was “more likely” that it would be townhomes with about “7 units per acre.”
The underlying Neighborhood Future Land Use classification has a maximum density of 12 dwelling units per acre for multi-family residential development. Accordingly, the property may have a maximum of 252 units on its 21 acres.
According to the city staff report, the site is located within the West Ocala Vision and Community Plan study area that was established in 2011. That plan identified six districts wherein the “predominant land use” was residential and the primary modes of transportation are “walking, bicycles, automobiles, and bus transit.”
The city has been working to promote a “walkable urban form” in those neighborhoods by encouraging or supporting the development of communities and facilities with mobility in mind.
“The proposed R-3 zoning is compatible with the recent neighborhood development pattern and provides for a transition between the surrounding uses,” reads the city staff report, referring to the park and the nearby apartment complex.
The area of northwest Ocala where the new development will be situated has boomed in recent years.
In addition to the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park, which opened in 2020, the area saw the openings of the Mary Sue Rich Community Center and the Aurora St. Leon Apartments in 2023.
Next to the apartments, the Laurels at West Oak, a new residential development, is currently being built out. Across from both of those communities is another development that is under construction.
