Margaritaville RV Park in North Marion County approved by BOCC
Opposition to the PUD revision came from Horse Farms Forever, Save Our Rural Area and residents nearby.
The Margaritaville RV Park is shown in Orange Lake, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. [Michael Warren/Ocala Gazette file photo]
In a 4-1 vote, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners approved the application for a proposed Margaritaville-themed RV park on County Road 318. In the late-day hearing on Feb. 17, about 30 members of the public watched the discussion and 16 people spoke out during the public comment portion of the hearing. Two expressed support for the project and 14 were opposed. Commissioner Craig Curry voted against the project.
At issue were revised plans for the RV park, changed from a traditional park with residential use only of its standard amenities to a Margaritaville-themed water park with a restaurant, bar and enlarged water recreation area, with a plunge pool and flume/ride water slide, that would allow public access for a fee.
The parcel is located south of Orange Lake, east of the former Jai Alai Fronton (which at one time also housed Ocala/Gainesville Poker) and adjoining the Grand Lake RV Resort.
“The nature of the business has changed,” said Curry. “It’s a theme park, not an RV park.”
The original Planned Unit Development (PUD) was meant for use by its residents only, not the general public, he said. The B-1 zoned parcel is in the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) and he had concerns about the horse farms in the area.
Jim Wiseman, president of Margaritaville Development, countered the comment, saying, “You can’t retroactively stop something.”
He was referring to the FPA’s implementation in 2005, which came after the PUD’s original approval back in 1998.
“We intend to be good neighbors,” he said.
Opposition came from Horse Farms Forever, Save Our Rural Area and more than a dozen neighbors.
Evangeline Linkous, a land-use consultant and director of the master’s program in urban and regional planning at the University of South Florida, was hired by Horse Farms Forever to evaluate the application. Linkous presented a findings memorandum that stated, in part, “The identified intent and character, including amenities, of the approved PUD is Recreational Resort. The approved PUD does not include public amenities and, to the degree that amenities are identified, these are private and small-scale and align with Recreational Resort… These identified amenities (a themed water park with bar and restaurant facilities for which day passes will be sold) dramatically change the uses, intent, and character from the approved PUD.”
Public comment focused on traffic concerns about Country Road 318, which is a two-lane road, especially for day-pass users. Typical RV park residents stay on site, but public access, speakers said, would generate lots of traffic on 318. County staff reported that the road, which already serves the Grand Lake RV Resort, is sufficient for needs of the new park.
Other concerns were noise and music from the site that might affect horses nearby, possible light pollution at night and water usage for the park’s pools and residents. Several speakers mentioned the current drought conditions in the area and questioned the volume of water needed to supply the resort.
Overall, reactions in the room were mixed as the commissioners and the park’s development team answered questions and clarified information. At one point, a woman rose and yelled at the board as she left the room, apparently angry about traffic, saying, “You’ve never driven on 318!”
Commission Chair Carl Zalak demurred, saying, “I drive it every day.” He also pointed out that traffic on 318 was much busier when the now-defunct Jai Alai Fronton was in use.
Don Barber, a representative from the Citra Community Center, expressed support for the project, pointing out that the Margaritaville staff had already committed to helping the center.
“There is no valid reason to deny this,” Barber said.
History of revisions and changes
The project has a long history, with its initial Planned Unit Development (PUD) application receiving approvals on the parcel for various zoning changes taking place since 2000 and renewal of the PUD under previous ownership in 2017. The 2017 PUD approval was for a recreational resort with private amenities on just under 141 acres. The project is under development already; parking pads, the hospitality building, pools and water recreations areas are nearly completed. Park model homes are also available for rental. Opening is slated for March.
Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC, has contracted with 8M Holdings, LLC, the park’s ownership entity, to develop the park into its global lifestyle brand that includes restaurants, cruises, resorts, hotels, subdivisions, apparel and merchandise. Nearby Margaritaville resorts are in Orlando, Jacksonville Beach and the Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Cabins in Auburndale. Wiseman confirmed that the company is planning to expand into Crystal River as well.
Food truck park
In other board business, a food truck park in front of the Tropicana Village Mobile Home Park in Belleview was rejected by the board, saying that the concept of the business was a good one, but the location wasn’t. More than 20 speakers opposed the idea, and it was denied in a 5-0 vote by the board.
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