A 176-home development proposed near Oak Road and Locust Pass is moving forward through Marion County’s review process with staff backing approval, though not without a list of conditions tied to traffic, buffering, sidewalks, lighting and infrastructure.
According to a Marion County Growth Services staff report for case 260205ZP, Heather Island, LLC is seeking to rezone about 33.27 acres from Single-Family Residential to Planned Unit Development to allow a 176-lot single-family subdivision with private amenities. The project site has no assigned address. The proposal, submitted through Tillman & Associates Engineering, calls for detached single-family homes along with a private amenity area featuring pickleball courts, a walking trail, playground and mail kiosk. No commercial uses are proposed.
County staff found the density falls within what is already allowed under the property’s High Residential future land use category. The report states the 33.27-acre site could allow between 135 and 268 units, and the 176-home proposal works out to roughly 5.3 homes per acre.
County staff recommended approval with conditions, finding the project would not adversely affect the public interest, is consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan and is generally compatible with surrounding land uses. At the same time, the report notes the proposed lot sizes are much smaller than some neighboring parcels, creating concerns about the scale and form of the homes compared with nearby large-lot residential and agricultural properties. To address that, staff recommended enhanced buffers along parts of the project perimeter, including modified 10-foot buffers on the south and west sides and additional screening along the north side.
The plan shows two access points, one from Oak Road and another from Locust Pass. Staff supported the internal road connection but raised concerns that the main east-to-west street could become a cut-through for faster traffic. As a result, staff recommended at least one traffic-calming measure be required during the design phase. A traffic study reviewed by the county found the development would not create roadway level-of-service deficiencies on analyzed road segments, but it did identify the need for signal improvements at Southeast Maricamp Road and Oak Road. The report states the intersection currently operates at a failing level of service during the morning peak hour and that signalization would improve conditions.
Emergency response was also reviewed. Marion County Fire Rescue indicated the area is already seeing high demand for transport service at Station 17 in Silver Springs Shores. Staff said the project would not adversely affect the public interest, but noted that additional units or services may eventually be warranted. On the law enforcement side, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office advised it has the capacity to absorb calls from the expected new residents tied to this development, though additional staffing would be needed if other area growth continues.
County staff recommended approval with conditions, and the next step is consideration by the Marion County Board of County Commissioners.
