VOLUME 3 ISSUE 42
Ocala Art Festival
$2
Downtown Ocala this weekend
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 42
$2
See ad on Pg A4
OCTOBER 21 - OCTOBER 27, 2022
City annexes 30 acres from the county By Makayla Gray makayla@ocalagazette.com
T
he area around Southeast 31st Street near Southeast 36th Street is home to several canopies of live oak trees that have provided welcome shade and beautiful scenery for many
years. In a unanimous decision, the council agreed to annex two adjacent parcels: a 6.15acre portion and a 24.86-acre segment off Southeast 31st Street and Southeast 36th Street. It’s the former parcel where the canopies stand. The annexed properties
are expected to be developed, but no formal plans have been submitted. The project, however, is expected to include 348 apartments in three-story apartments set away from a residential area on 36th Street that would be multi-family homes, according to Ocala’s Growth Management Director
Tye Chighizola. Chighizola indicated it is important to the city to “keep that canopy road feeling” and provide a 50-foot buffer to preserve the trees after the city gains access to the property. In email correspondence with the Gazette, Chighizola described the city’s effort to
PAINTING AWARENESS
A mural creation of a great blue heron by local artist Drake Arnold is shown as he continues his work on the Water and Wildlife of the Ocklawaha mural by the Fort King Presbyterian Church on Southeast 36th Avenue in Ocala on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.
Striking mural is being created as part of the “Hope for the Ocklawaha Art and Photography Exhibit” project. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
A
nyone passing by Fort King Presbyterian Church will no doubt notice the colorful mural being painted on a city wall at the front of the campus. The “Hope for the Ocklawaha Art and Photography Exhibit” includes the display of images along with a series of talks and artist Drake Arnold live painting an Ocklawaha Riverthemed mural. The project is hosted by the Free the Ocklawaha River Coalition to build public awareness about the largest tributary to the St. Johns River and one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers. The coalition collaborated with the church and the city of Ocala and once the mural, called “The Water and Wildlife of the Ocklawaha,” is finished, which is slated for late November, it will become part of the city’s public art collection. “This masterful wildlife mural, a gift from Drake Arnold, reflects Marion County’s location at the heart of The Florida Wildlife Corridor and water bodies of statewide importance - Silver Springs and the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers,” said Margaret Spontak, chair of the coalition. “It will serve as a gateway to our beloved Silver Springs and historic Ocklawaha River and a reminder of how
important water and wildlife is to the health and economy of our community.” Arnold, who was born and raised in Ocala, works in traditional and digital media and uses acrylic and aerosol when painting on canvas or a mural wall. He studied music composition at the College of Central Florida and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in digital art from the University of Tampa. Upon graduation, he worked as a motion graphics designer and glass blower and traveled the country to “live paint” at music festivals and events. He returned to Ocala in 2018. “Now that I am a professional muralist, I want to use my skills as an artist to give back to the local community through raising awareness for nonprofits and other causes that are championed by charitable organizations. My mom always supported the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and other environmental organizations, so I suppose you could say I was just raised with those kinds of values,” he shared. “Everyone loves animals and wildlife, as their story and plight are easily relatable. Framing the mural story through their context makes it easy to demonstrate the benefits of this project, which preserves the water, wildlife and biodiversity of our region for future generations,” Arnold said. The Hope for the Ocklawaha
Photography Exhibit may be seen 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 24; 10 to 4 p.m. Oct. 21 and 28; and noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 23 and 30. The featured artists include Arnold, Karen Chadwick, Will Dickey, Mark Emery, Anne MacKay, John Moran, Reinier Munguia, Margaret Tolbert and Alan Youngblood. On Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. Chadwick will give a talk about “Bringing Ocklawaha’s Wildlife to Life.” Chadwick, who is a boat captain and graduate of the Ringling School of Art, will showcase her soapstone sculptures of wildlife found along the Ocklawaha River and other works. She has designed exhibits for environmental and education centers and museums across the state, and her life-like exhibit fabrications may be seen at the Silver River Museum in Ocala. Arnold was the guest speaker on Monday, Oct. 17. “Drake Arnold captivated
the audience with his wit, self-deprecating humor and authentic message about his love of Marion County, creation of public art and efforts to use his talents to highlight important community causes,” Spontak said. Fort King Presbyterian Church donated the mural supplies and funds for longterm maintenance of Arnold’s mural through donations to the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County’s Ocklawaha Restoration Fund, which can be found at ocalafoundation.org/ community-foundationfunds/ocklawaha-riverrestoration-fund Hope House at Fort King Presbyterian Church is located at 13 NE 36th Ave. Ocala. Special small group or class visits for the “Hope for the Ocklawaha Art and Photography Exhibit” may be made by emailing Spontak at mhspontak@gmail.com.
A mural creation of a barred owl by local artist Drake Arnold is shown as he continues his work on the Water and Wildlife of the Ocklawaha mural by the Fort King Presbyterian Church on Southeast 36th Avenue in Ocala on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
preserve the tree canopy, noting that staff will have a preconstruction meeting with the developer J & G Cedar Shores 26, LLC to ensure the protection of the trees. “The trees being saved will be identified on the site plan, and See Annexation, page A2
Controversial crematory proposed in residential neighborhood Fifth hearing required after applicant requests multiple continuances; neighborhood residents fight back. By Morgan Ryan morgan@ocalagazette.com
R
esidents of an Ocala neighborhood who are staunchly opposed to a nearby funeral home’s plan to build a crematory on its premises will have to wait a few more months for a decision by Marion County commissioners. Ocala Memorial Gardens Inc first asked the county’s Planning & Zoning Commission for permission to erect a crematory on a 20.41-acre lot of open land at Forest Lawn Funeral Home & Memory Gardens, 5740 S Pine Ave., in July. At the applicant’s request, the planning commission pushed a vote on the request for a Special Use Permit back until Aug. 29. The request was delayed again, until Sept. 26. At that meeting, the planning commission recommended that the Board of County Commissioners deny the request. On Tuesday, before the commission could vote on the request, the applicant once again requested a delay, stating that it was the first time the request was made at the BOCC level, but still drawing a rebuke from a commissioner. “This would be the second time we’ve continued (the issue),” said Commissioner Kathy Bryant. “I’ve got a lot of citizens out there that probably want to put this to bed.’ The board ultimately agreed to revisit the request at its Dec. 6 meeting. Before that decision, several residents of the nearby neighborhood reiterated to the commissioners their concerns about potentially harmful effects the crematory would have on their homes. The crematory could potentially be harmful to both the environment and the property values See Proposed, page A2
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