The Greater Ocala Dog Club is asking county commissioners to renew a special use permit to continue hosting seasonal dog shows and RV parking at its 40-acre facility.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners will vote on Tuesday, June 16, on whether to renew a special use permit filed by Phil Briasco on behalf of the organization.
The property is situated at 10205 NW Gainesville Road, about halfway between Ocala and Reddick, and is currently zoned for general agriculture.
The club has been utilizing the site for dog shows and events since the 1970s. It previously secured a special use permit for the property in 2010 and renewed it in 2015.
That permit officially expired earlier this year on March 16.
According to county staff, the property has not generated any neighborhood complaints or code enforcement cases over the decades of operation.
If the new permit is approved, the club will continue utilizing the land to host dog show events, which primarily take place during late fall.
To accommodate visitors, the site features 145 parking spaces for recreational vehicles. The application notes that the RVs will not be connected to the property’s well and septic systems, but will instead rely on temporary sanitary sewer services during the events.
County staff and the Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission, which unanimously recommended approval of the request on May 27, have outlined several strict conditions for the permit.
Operations and RV parking will be limited to a maximum of 60 days per calendar year, and the RV spaces can only be used in conjunction with the dog shows. Furthermore, the club is prohibited from providing sanitary sewer or potable water utility services to the RVs.
The club will also be required to notify the county zoning division and fire services at least 10 working days prior to any dog show event. If approved, the new special use permit will run exclusively with the current owner and will expire on June 16, 2031, though it can be renewed administratively for up to three additional five-year terms.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners next meets on Tuesday, June 16, at the McPherson Governmental Complex (601 SE 25th Avenue) in Ocala.