OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Ocala City Council voted unanimously during their meeting on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, to adopt an ordinance amending the zoning map for the City of Ocala, changing the zoning from planned development to light industrial for the subject property located at 5019 W. Silver Springs Blvd. and the parcel adjacent to the east.
The relevant parcels compose approximately 30.49 acres.
The City of Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission had voted 6-0 to recommend approval at their meeting on Jan. 12, 2026.
Applicant Steven Mendez had requested the amendment to the ordinance to rezone the two properties. Both properties are currently designated as employment center future land use, said Emily Johnson, City of Ocala growth management department. The parcels were annexed into the city respectively in 2018 and 2022, with the parcel that was annexed in 2018, having historically remained vacant and undeveloped.
The other subject property, annexed in 2022, found the owner subsequently applying for rezoning to planned development, which was approved by city council on Nov. 19, 2024. The associated planned development standards were adopted concurrently and approved a maximum development program of 468 multi-family residential units and up to 180,991 square feet of commercial or retail uses.
The property owner is Chi Ocala Rancho, LLC.
Historically, the subject property has been used for agricultural purposes, and is developed with three family residences, which were built as early as 1958, and are considered “existing non-conforming” under the current planned development zoning as well as the proposed light industrial zoning, said Johnson.
Staff finds that the proposed rezoning is consistent with the industrial and heavy commercial development patterns surrounding the subject properties. Residential units are not permitted in the light industrial district. So, the existing family residences located on the subject property will remain non-conforming. The proposed rezoning is consistent with the existing employment center future land use classification. City utilities are available at this location, with no level of service issues having been identified for public facilities as a result of the zoning amendment, said Johnson.
Based on these findings, staff recommended approval, said Johnson.
Rodney Rogers, Rogers Engineering & Land Surveying, LLC, who was representing the applicant, told council that one of the buildings has been demolished and removed, with one of the other buildings currently going through the abatement process, and as soon as the building is ready, it will also be demolished and removed.
“Neither building has been occupied since we made the application on this,” said Rogers. “There’s no intent on having a single-family residence on the property. They do have a potential buyer on the frontage portion of this property for development. The remainder of the property will basically be marketed as the M-1 (light industrial). The rest of the property behind it is all M-1, and it seems to be the driver in that neighborhood. It’s that type of industrial development. Previous zoning, PD (planned development), was done pursuant to a contract on the property he had to build apartments, and with the saturation of apartments we’ve experienced, that kind of went away, and there’s been no more interest in that PD concept of the multi-family in the back and B-2 usage on the frontage.”
Instead of the property sitting idly with planned development zoning that would have to be built in accordance with the zoning, the applicant met with staff, and they thought it would be best if it blended in with the light industrial with the rest of the commerce park that surrounds it. That was the purpose of the request, said Rogers.