OCALA, FL (352Today.com) – On Tuesday, July 7, 2025, the Ocala City Council approved Ordinance 2026-19 on second and final reading, rezoning approximately 2.04 acres at 619 SE 17th Street from O-1 (Office District) to B-2A (Limited Business Commercial District).
The property is currently occupied by Bitting’s Pharmacy and Medical Equipment & Supplies, which has operated at the site since at least 1987. The rezoning will not create any additional nonconformities for the existing pharmacy use.
Planning Director for the City of Ocala, Aubrey Hale, said the application requested a rezoning of the property from O-1 (Office District) to B-2A (Limited Business Commercial District). The property is located along Southeast 17th Street (State Road 464) near the intersection with Southeast Magnolia Extension. To the west is the Churchill Shopping Center. Properties to the east are also zoned O-1, while properties to the south include RO-zoned parcels, with B-2A zoning at the southwest corner of the intersection.
Hale said the rezoning will allow for expanded retail uses beyond those permitted under O-1 zoning. He added that the change would not create any additional nonconformities for the property’s existing use, which is currently a pharmacy.
City staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of the request. The rezoning is consistent with the property’s Low Intensity future land use designation, which permits commercial uses. The B-2A district is intended for community-scale retail sales, personal and business services, and office uses, with a focus on walk-in trade.
The surrounding area features a mix of retail, medical offices, and institutional uses, with B-2A or B-2 zoning already present at the nearby intersection.
The applicant is David Hammar, with York Hill Properties, L.C., listed as the property owner. The agent is Sandon Wiechens of Wiechens Realty, Inc.
The item received a first reading on June 16, 2026. The rezoning takes effect upon adoption of the ordinance.