A proposed 207-unit development off Northwest 60th Avenue was denied by the Marion County Commission on Tuesday after an hour-long debate about controlling sprawl in the county s designated urban growth area versus the need to protect farm land.
The commission voted 3-2 to deny development of the land, which is surrounded mostly by 450 acres known as Piney Woods Farm, owned by the family of retired Marion County Circuit Judge Hale Stancil, 75, who pleaded with officials to deny the development.
Commissioners Michelle Stone, who represents that area of the county, and Kathy Bryant voted for approval of the development, which was proposed to be built on the west edge of four-lane Northwest 60th Avenue, across from the Ocala Palms retirement community.
Congresswoman Cindy Axne visited Edge of the Woods Farm in Indianola Friday afternoon, discussing the impacts of the pandemic on small businesses and local farming. Axne tells KNIA News what stood out the most to her during her visit was expanding markets.
“I’m listening to the stories about not being able to ship things to people in other states even though they would love to have those purchases is something we need to work through. The restrictions we have in place that keep some of our small agriculture farms from being able to be successful, we have to stop some of that.”
Stancil, 75, has been spending most of his time on the family’s homestead, which has been in his family since 1919. Stancil recently met with the Star-Banner at his property to talk about how Marion County growth is approaching his backyard.
“It was all wooded when I grew up here,” said Stancil, who was born in 1946 at what was once known as Munroe Regional Medical Center. “A new development would change the whole dynamics of this community.”
The proposed development, if approved by the Marion County Commission, would be the first of its kind built in that general area west of Northwest 60th Avenue, across the street from Ocala Palms Golf and Country Club community. That area is known as Stancil’s Corner.
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Laura McGoldrick s South Coast NSW road trip
8 Mar, 2021 11:00 AM
5 minutes to read
Sea Cliff Bridge, Clifton. Photo / Destination NSW.
When it comes to family-friendly holiday destinations, you really can t beat New South Wales.
Flying direct to Sydney, it s only a few hours across the ocean so (hopefully) the kids won t get too wild on the flight.
Escaping the city for the natural beauty of South Coast New South Wales is, in my eyes, the perfect adventure with little ones in tow. Hire a car, pack it full with everything but the kitchen sink, and set out to explore the beaches, lagoons and rainforests from Sydney down as far as the Victorian border. If this sounds like the holiday you ve been waiting a whole year for, then I ll happily take some of the planning off your plate with this epic five-day itinerary packed full of fun for the whole family and plenty of boredom-busting sight-seeing stops en route.