By Bryce Abshier – Contact Bryce@VoiceofSouthMarion.com
Some nearby residents were pleased on Tuesday after the Marion County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a revised development plan along SE 92nd Loop that eliminates multifamily housing, opting instead for 211 single-family homes on larger lots.
The approved project will be divided between the north and south sides of SE 92nd Loop. The north side will feature 111 single-family homes at a density of 4.31 homes per acre, while the south side will have 100 single-family homes at 3.78 homes per acre. Despite zoning allowances for a higher density of up to 417 homes, the developer opted for just 211 single-family homes on larger lots.
This change of plans pleased nearby residents who had expressed concerns about the original plans that included 58 single-family (south of SE 92nd Loop) and 304 multifamily units (north of SE 92nd Loop). The multifamily units that were scrapped would have been 2-story apartment buildings.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the revised zoning plans for the 52.15-acre development along SE 92nd Loop, with one exception: a proposed crosswalk was scrapped after the commission deemed it too dangerous. The crosswalk was planned to allow pedestrians to cross SE 92nd Loop to use amenities on either side of the highway. Though initially part of the plan, the crosswalk wasn’t required, and the developer, BaseDev Land Trust and Dimino Holdings Associates, LLC, agreed to remove it.
The developer’s adjustments addressed the concerns of neighboring communities, such as the Fountains at Golf Park, who opposed high-density multifamily housing when the project was first proposed to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners back in May. With these changes, the project moves forward with community support, aligning with local land-use regulations while maintaining the lower-density, residential character that neighbors preferred.
The Baseline Road and SE 92nd Loop areas are positioned to become hot spots for residential development in the coming years. Alongside this newly approved project in unincorporated Marion County, a neighboring development is set to deliver 337 homes, the maximum allowed under the property’s acreage and zoning. Meanwhile, just inside Belleview city limits, the Bellehaven community will introduce over 1,000 new homes to the same booming area.
A slide shared during the recent meeting showed the capacity levels at Belleview area schools. According to the graphic, Belleview Santos, Belleview Middle and Belleview High School are each operating near or above 100% capacity. The graphic goes on to outline that Marion County Public Schools “is currently examining school capacities and is currently undertaking the construction of new public schools.” According to a press release from Marion County Public Schools, “elementary school “W” is being built in the Marion Oaks community just south of CR 484. Elementary school “X” is being built in the Winding Oaks area just south of SR 200 in Ocala. Both schools are slated to open in August 2025.” Both of these schools are over 10 miles away from Belleview.
