Owners of the Jumbolair Aviation Estates fly-in community near Ocala, Florida, home to avid pilot/celebrity John Travolta, have withdrawn a plan to dramatically increase the size of the residency with a proposed rezoning. Travolta had filed a letter to local authorities expressing his opposition to the plan.
The Ocala Star-Banner reported today that the rezoning effort was withdrawn just hours before a scheduled public meeting where large numbers of residents gathered to express their concern for the rezoning effort, which would have increased the residential footprint from some 40 properties to more than 600.
According to the paper, Robert Bull, who purchased Jumbolair in 2021, proposed rezoning a 449.66-acre site from a blend of General Agriculture, Agriculture Estate, Community Business and Light Industrial to the “Planned Unit Development” (PUD) category. As part of a letter to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, Travolta’s legal team wrote in support of residents opposing the rezoning: “Compared to existing low-density neighborhoods surrounding the area, Bull’s proposal would irrevocably alter the complexion of north central Marion County from a quiet, rural farmland community to a bustling airfield surrounded by dense residential development and commercial development.”
Well Done, Mr. Travolta. There are some things that do not need to expand. From forty properties to over 600 properties is on it’s surface and sub-surface – ludicrous.
And then later arriving residents would complain about “low flying aircraft”
Not to mention taxiing the damn things in the middle of the street.
Interesting that Travolta didn’t buy the property. That would have solved everything.
My thoughts exactly.
Travolta, Ocala Equestrian Community Prevail. No they didn’t prevail the developer is very smart. He took it off the table so that it sound not be voted on and turned down. Look for him to bring it back up when everyone has their eyes on something else or when the main complainer die. I was on a City Planning Commission for 5 years and have seen this before.
This is sad in so many ways.
I guess the residents of Marion County didn’t want or need the tax revenue from the million dollar plus homes that were likely to be built.
Sounds like General Aviation doesn’t need more pilots and aircraft owners to help defend our freedom to fly.
I hope when the airport you fly out of needs upgrades or improvements the neighbors don’t “rise up” and shut down those efforts. If you are a NIMBY, one day you might just get NIMBY’d yourself. Karma is a B!tch.
Mr. Gilbert, Come on down to Ocala. The developers are turning any property they can into developments and warehouses built on speculation. Easy access to overcrowded I-75. I have been in town for 9 short years and in that time 10,00 – 15,000 homes have been built just in a 7-8 mile radius of my home. If you’re a builder that’s all you do until that area is saturated and then you move on to the next under built section of land. Problem lies with the city and county’s lack of adequate infrastructure to handle the influx of people buying up the newly built homes. We are becoming the new urban sprawl like Orlando, FL. Soon it will be one huge metroplex from Gainesville to Kissimmee from Tampa to Daytona: housing developments and strip malls. No small time charm just same boring architecture. I am not anti-development just take the time to keep it slower growth an put in the infrastructure to support that growth prior to that development being built. Leave the nice horse farms alone so this area can still be called the “horse capital of the US” as they post around town; not the retirement home capital of Florida!
I agree, yes I live in the local area also. Too much rapid development and not the infrastructure.
All of Florida has undergone rapid and extensive expansion over the last 40 years. With NO infrastructure to back it up. Coming from a Fifth Gen Born and raised in Florida. Good luck with it….I’m outa there!
What’s sad, is your complete lack of understanding of the situation. Do your homework and come back when you have something pertinent to offer. Marion county isn’t hurting for tax revenue.
Rumor is he withdrew his proposal after watching “Pulp Fiction”.
RE: Flyer Don ROFL
This will come up again in a year. the plan will be less dramatic, after a few iteration the developer will sue those for in ability to exercise his right to develop his property. thena compromised plan will be worked out because no one will want to go to court. Seen it many many times.