Ocala Ranch Living

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Protected Species

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Bald eagles. Two of them. Nesting in the middle of our property. What do we do? Build around them, and make their nest a part of the natural landscape of Ocala Ranch.

Not only do we take great care in maintaining habitats for Florida’s protected wildlife, we make them a priority.

Using the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) map of Integrated Wildlife Habitat Ranking System and detailed environmental studies, we know what species are on our property and where. That’s why Ocala Ranch will be built in the areas with the least impact on wildlife, and 1,300+ acres with the highest importance will be preserved open space.

In fact, in our application for approval, FWC noted that they appreciated the fact that we avoided, minimized and mitigated impact to state protected species.

And those two bald eagles? Our residents will be able to see them nesting from planned observation areas in one of our community centers.

At Ocala Ranch, we don’t look at protected species as nuisances. They are an integral component of the natural areas within our master-plan.

Marion County Traffic Issues

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As of December 2017, the state road (SR 200) providing access to Ocala Ranch is a two-lane highway. However, years ago, the State of Florida purchased land from property owners (including the Seldin family, the owner of Ocala Ranch) to increase the road capacity to four lanes.

In creating the plans for Ocala Ranch, we consulted with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to understand their expansion timeline for SR 200 and were informed each community offers their own prioritization list to the state. In this community, the Ocala/Marion County Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) controls the master list, and the SR 200 widening is on it. Only the TPO, not Ocala Ranch, can recommend to FDOT the priority for the SR 200 widening.

We understand the traffic concerns in the area, so we asked experts in that field to analyze the situation. After traffic studies by multiple experts, we have been assured that even after 20 years of build out, Ocala Ranch will never reach an occupancy level that will exceed the capacity created by a four-lane highway.

We are also aware of concerns over traffic around the bridge over the Withlacoochee River, a few miles away from the entrance to Ocala Ranch. However, that bridge is in Citrus County, out of the Ocala/Marion County TPO jurisdiction. Conversations and concerns about the bridge are matters for the Hernando/Citrus Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). We do not control the MPO, either, much less FDOT, and it is unclear at present what their plans are for the bridge when SR200 is expanded to four lanes. Regardless, we would support local efforts to improve the bridge and related traffic issues.   

A mixed-use community with multiple amenities like Ocala Ranch, provides residents many of the services they need right in the community where they live, thus reducing traffic impact even further.

Ocala Ranch is good for the Marion County community and may provide an incentive for the TPO to give the widening of SR 200 a higher priority. Even after years of construction and the addition of new residents to the community, a four-laned SR 200 will provide substantial additional road capacity for the area.

Our Drake Ranch Neighbors

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More than 30 years ago, the Seldin family purchased land from the Drakes that will be known as Ocala Ranch. The Drake family has been a part of the Marion County community for generations. They are wonderful community citizens and excellent neighbors to Ocala Ranch.

The Drake family is supportive of our plans for Ocala Ranch. We have agreed upon plans for buffers with their property and the Drake family agrees that Ocala Ranch is a good idea for Marion County. Ann Louise Drake penned an Op-Ed for the Ocala Star Banner in October 2017 where she detailed Ocala Ranch’s plan to bring infrastructure, jobs, and an environmentally-sensitive master-planned community to Marion County, the area where she was raised and still calls home.

Ocala Ranch has a great relationship with the Drakes. One that will continue as we reside side-by-side as neighbors for generations to come.

Master-Planned Communities

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When the building industry’s bubble burst around 2007, Marion County faced some tough challenges. Many subdivisions were platted and limited infrastructure (roadways, streetlights, water and sewer lines) was installed, but with no real plan to build those neighborhoods, many sat empty.

Some Marion County landowners built master-planned communities rather than merely platting subdivisions and have been quite successful. And over the next few years, these communities will be nearly out of homesites.

What sets master-planned communities apart from individualized lot-type subdivisions are the amenities and planned, phased build-out of those developments. Ocala Ranch is designed for today’s active adult lifestyles with many amenities and a 20-year build-out plan. Ocala Ranch will have a General Store for shopping needs, two community/recreation centers, golf courses, and more.

As Ocala Ranch grows, so do the amenities. We have a detailed phasing plan. We know where we are today, and how Ocala Ranch will develop in the future.

Natural Assets… Our Wetlands

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As Dr. Edward Maltby said, wetlands are “among the earth’s greatest natural assets. . . mankind’s waterlogged wealth.”

However, what good are wetlands, if they aren’t restored, maintained and preserved?

That’s just what we plan to do.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) confirmed that Ocala Ranch avoids any impact to onsite wetlands. We will not impact any wetlands, and Ocala Ranch will have protective natural buffers around all wetlands on our property. There is even a plan, pending approvals, to restore the wetlands in the 1,300+ acre open space portion of the site to closely replicate their original state (1940 conditions) and preserve them in perpetuity.

We value the land we have, and that includes the wetlands.

Sandy Soil Covers Thick Clay Over the Whole Site

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Over time, misinformation can spread through the community regarding someone else’s property. The “did you hear” type of conversations can cause a lot of confusion as to what type of soil people have or don’t have on their land. Ground-penetrating radar on 2,100 acres tells you a lot.

So that’s just what we did.

We know every nook and cranny of every piece of our property and have created a community around it. Not only is the sandy soil at Ocala Ranch suitable for building, but there is also a natural thick layer of clay under the soil covering the entire site.

There are NO open caverns, NO active sinkholes and NO hydraulic connection to the Floridan Aquifer on the 2,100 acres in which development will occur. Only three small areas of unstable soil conditions were found, and these areas will be retained as open space in the development.

 

We Value Our Water

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Water – one of our greatest natural resources. That’s why we made it one of our top priorities at Ocala Ranch as we explored the options for our land. In 2015, when we first started working with Marion County staff to create a plan, we tested the existing wells on our property to learn just how much water we have. We consulted the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and learned the ins and outs of their requirements.

And then we asked for less.

Much less than what SWFWMD’s calculations say that we could have. In fact, Ocala Ranch’s water withdrawal would be 72 percent less than SWFWMD’s permittable withdrawal.

Ocala Ranch will have a dedicated water campus on site which means no individual wells will be built or permitted. We will have lined ponds to harvest stormwater for irrigation, and four miles of dedicated sewer lines will run to and from the existing county plant to ensure no septic tanks will be used.

 We care about water and have made it a priority that Ocala Ranch uses only what we need.