OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Florida Department of Commerce has raised objections to a submission by the Marion County Board of County Commissioners that would grant the World Equestrian Center’s parent company wide-ranging special exemptions for the development of its planned sports and entertainment complex through a comprehensive plan amendment.
After receiving and reviewing the proposed comprehensive plan amendment, which included comprehensive plan amendments, in August of this year, the department has recommended actions Marion County could take to resolve its concerns regarding a lack of adequate supporting data and analysis. Some areas the department deemed lacking included the availability of water supplies, public facilities and services as required in Section 163.3177 (a) (b) and (c), Florida Statutes.
Marion County can choose to go ahead and adopt the amendment as is, adopt the amendment with changes, or not adopt the proposed amendment at all following a second public hearing. The county received the department’s report on Oct. 3, 2025; by law, the second hearing to adopt the comprehensive plan must be held within 180 days of receipt of the report, or the amendment will be summarily withdrawn, unless an extension is granted with the department’s agreement.
Once the amendment is adopted, its final form must be transmitted to the department within 10 working days, or the amendment will be considered withdrawn.
The department’s objections
In their review. FLORIDACOMMERCE found that Marion County didn’t demonstrate the impacts of the increased development potential on public facilities, and failed to identify the public facility improvements that would be needed to accommodate any increased development potential allowed by the proposed amendment.
Additionally, the department pointed out that the county also didn’t demonstrate that the improvements have been included in the comprehensive plan have been adequately planned for, as is required by Section 163.3177.
The department’s recommendations
The amendment, 25-01DRI (Development of Regional Impact), proposes to allow sports facilities at the World Equestrian Center, and increases the development entitlements for non-residential uses. According to FLORIDACOMMERCE, considering the potential increase in future development the new facilities could bring, Marion County must clarify what project description will be the affecting controlling land use description for the site.
Marion County must support the proposed amendment with adequate data and analysis to demonstrate the effects of the increased development potential on public facilities. They have also been charged with identifying the public facility improvements needed for land use allowed by the proposed amendment, and demonstrating that those improvements have been included in the comprehensive plan.
The amendment must be based on data and analysis, surveys, and studies regarding the amendment site, including the availability of water supplies, public facilities and services.
FDOT review
In a letter from the Florida Department of Transportation to the Florida Department of Commerce, dated Aug. 27, 2025, regarding the proposed Marion County comprehensive plan amendment 25-01DRI, the FDOT acknowledged having looked over the proposed amendment in its role as a reviewing agency.
The FDOT cited in their review that the proposed large-scale comprehensive plan amendment included four components to the future land use element.
The proposed text changes would allow for the World Equestrian Center to revise the future land use designation definition to increase the range of potential uses within the land use to include indoor and outdoor sports facilities and event venues, for areas subject to the land use designation in Marion County’s designated urban area.
A summary of the future land use designations would revise the table to reflect those additional uses enabled by the revisions to the WEC future land use designation.
The Golden Ocala (WEC parent company) Development of Regional Impact amendment would also increase the maximum development amounts for some identified uses and revise the method of assessing development eligibility amounts for other uses within the development.
And finally, the DRI would revise the Golden Ocala functional development of regional impact map to identify the revised arrangement of adopted and enabled land uses.