Development gets OK

Ocala Star-Banner - October 12, 2001

By SUSAN LATHAM CARR
Staff Writer

OCALA — Over the objections of about 75 area residents present and against the advice of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, the Ocala City Council on Tuesday night approved a zoning change to open the way for a 440-unit apartment and patio home complex off Southeast 18th Avenue, south of the Deerwood Professional Center off Southeast 17th Street.

"I am very pleased," said developer Roy T. "Thad" Boyd after the 3-2 vote.

The Council required Boyd to make road improvements which, Boyd said, would cost him an estimated $500,000. Construction on the $25 million-to-$30 million development is likely to begin during the spring of 2001, he added.

The City Council insisted that, in addition to improving the intersections of Southeast 17th Street and Southeast 18th Avenue and Southeast 17th Street and Lake Weir Road, Boyd would have to build a new road, Southeast 15th Avenue. He will not have to put a signal at the intersection of Southeast 15th Avenue and Southeast 17th Street.

Council President Mike Finn voted against the project, saying Boyd could achieve a good project with a lower density Planned Unit Development, a PUD-8, and alienate the apartments from Southeast 18th Avenue.

Councilman Mike Amsden also voted against the project.

"I think the project is out of character with the surrounding area," Amsden said.

Anna Dunwoody, who opposed the project, said having Boyd build the road without a signal is a mistake.

"I think the Council jumped the gun a little," Dunwoody said. "They should have attached the signal to it as well."

She agreed with Finn's proposal.

"I still think the density is too strong," Dunwoody said.

Boyd requested a zoning change from R-1 single family to PUD-10, planned unit development with 10 units per acre on 44 acres located west of Southeast 18th Avenue.

Most of the concerns expressed about the project were over traffic.

The Planning and Zoning Commission acknowledged the traffic concerns on Sept. 18 when it voted 4-2 to deny the zoning change.

However, the city staff recommended for the change subject to the owners making the intersection improvements approved by the council.

The zoning request originally came before the Ocala City Council on Oct. 2 but was postponed by a 4-0 vote because members of the developer's team were not present. Councilman Gerald Ergle also was not present.

According to the conceptual plan, 31 patio homes are planned for construction in the western portion of the site during phase one, and 409 apartments in two- and three-story buildings are planned for phase two.

Based on a traffic study provided by Transportation Planning and Design Inc., there would be turning failures at the intersection of Southeast 17th Street and Southeast 18th Avenue, and at Southeast 17th Street and Southeast Lake Weir Road.

Over the years, various projects have been considered for the property. During 1998, the land-use for the northern portion of the site, which is now Deerwood Professional Center, was changed from high density residential to professional services. At that time, 65 single-family homes and 300 apartments were proposed.

Then during the fall of 2000, the developer asked to change the zoning from R-1, residential, to R-3 so he could build 600 apartments and 28 townhouses. That request was withdrawn in February 2001 and resubmitted as an application for the PUD.

Susan Latham Carr covers Ocala city government and state issues. She may be reached at susan.carr@starbanner.com or 867-4156.

See October 12, 2001 issue of Ocala Star-Banner for original article.