OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a special use permit request for an indoor simunition training facility in Citra, at their planning and zoning meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025.
The special use permit request is for an indoor simunition training facility within an enclosed metal structure. The owners are Scott Adams and Diane Lapum, with the 6.51-acre subject property being located at 4243 NE 175th St. Road to the east of Citra. The future land use is designated rural, and the existing zoning classification is general agriculture. The subject property is located in the secondary springs protection zone and there is a FEMA flood zone in the northwest corner of the subject property. Staff didn’t receive any letters of opposition, said Jared Rivera-Cayetano, Marion County growth services project planner. However, during the planning and zoning commission public hearing, there was someone who pulled it out for an individual request.
There is some low density residential in the surrounding area. The entire area is predominantly rural land. There are some subdivisions in the area, but most are vacant at this time. There is a condition related to the facility’s proximity to residential development on the special use permit. The owners are proposing putting a home on the subject property. They are building the facility, and their home would be located next to it.
Preparation for real life situations
Simunition is a specialized form of tactical self-defense training which employs nonlethal ammunition in simulated life-threatening situations. The property owners are proposing training sessions of around four to five people, two sessions per day, and they’re preserving around four acres, said Rivers-Cayetano. There’s sufficient existing vegetation for buffering. The intention of rural lands is intended to be used for agricultural related uses in low density development. In the county’s staff estimation, shooting ranges are ideal in areas that are considered low density. Staff found that the request wouldn’t affect the public interest, is consistent with the comprehensive plan, and that it’s compatible with surrounding uses.
There were conditions put on the number of training sessions that could be held at the facility, up to two, and no more than 10 people per session, or whatever voting safety standards may be. The training will be conducted primarily indoors. The structure has to be at least 300 feet from any existing residence. The special use permit is intended for the self-defense simunition training. The sessions are about four hours in length. The special use permit will expire in three years; however, it can be administratively renewed three times, for three years each by the Marion County growth services director, unless there is a code enforcement issue, complaint or violation of the special use permit, said Rivera-Cayetano.
Staff specified that there would need to be accessible parking as a commercial development and that would have to be paved. The rest can be gravel as the owners have right now. However, the owners will need a driveway permit from OCE for it to meet commercial driveway standards.
The reason that growth services took in the application, after discussing it with legal was to consider it as a shooting range, which is explicitly listed for general agriculture zoned properties.
Staff and the planning and zoning commission, with a unanimous, 6-0 vote, recommended approval with conditions of the request.
Safety and planning
The owners/applicants came to Florida nearly four years ago, fell in love with the state as well as firearms. Prior to that time, they weren’t “firearms people.” They weren’t for or against firearms. However, they did some training, purchased some firearms, found out they would be able to shoot some firearms standing while looking at a cardboard target. They asked themselves, if one were in an actual situation, would one be able to do the same thing? There isn’t a facility like this in the immediate area, said owner Scott Adams.
“When talking to some of the instructors that I’ve talked to, we need this,” said Adams. “Simunition is something where we can set up scenarios, say my wife and I are in bed; we set up a kind of a bedroom setup in this situation, and we’re in bed, and she has a gun on her side, and I’ve got a gun on my side. Are we going to be able to use them if someone breaks in. You can have that scenario where someone breaks in through the door, and how are you going to communicate with your better half. Are you going to be able to shout out instructions. I’m going to go here and I’m going to go there. It’s more training that way than actual firearms. It could be actual guns that transfer into simunition-type ammunition.”
Tactical training
There will always be a trainer at the facility, former military and law enforcement personnel, and the customer would go through the scenarios until they get it right, said Adams.
“So, you come in, you break in, you make a mistake, you get shot, what did you do wrong?,” said Adams. “Where could’ve you hid in the bedroom, what could’ve you said to your partner to get yourself through that situation. It would be a training facility. You would have a small classroom. You’d have your conversation. Here’s the scenario. you go into the scenario, and your trainer will walk you through it.”
The owner will supply all of the firearms, the ammunition and protective equipment. No one would be able to bring in weapons to the facility, said Adams.