Marion County Holds Oct. 22 Hearing on Letting Billboards Straddle Property Lines

Marion County commissioners will hold the first of two public hearings on a billboard rule change on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala. The second hearing is Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, at 9 a.m., in the same auditorium, according to the county's Oct. 6 notice scheduling the two hearings. The ordinance would amend Section 4.4.5, "Off-Site Signs," of the county's Land Development Code, according to the county's Oct. 22 agenda packet.

Digitally generated illustration of a sign support base. Not a photo of any Marion County sign.

What Would Change

Today the code requires an off-site (billboard) sign to sit at least 15 feet from a street right-of-way or property line. The proposed new subsection, D(7)(d), adds an exception for interior side property lines. A sign that needs a building permit, or its supporting structure, could be placed within, on or straddling the shared line between two contiguous parcels if a sign easement is recorded in the county's Official Records before any permit is issued.

The draft sets limits on that exception:

• Only the overhead sign face may sit on or straddle the line. The supporting structure and its foundation must be wholly on one parcel.


• Both parcels must be in one of the zoning classes where off-site signs are allowed and must carry a commercial or industrial future land use. No easement could be authorized where either parcel is residential or has a Low, Medium, High or Urban Residential designation.


• Under the staff-recommended wording, a survey showing the sign face, the structure and its foundation must be filed before a permit is issued.


• The recorded easement must cover the structure, any overhang onto the neighboring parcel, and access for construction, maintenance and removal.

The packet shows the language with tracked edits, and staff and the applicant's wording differ in places, so the final text could change at the hearings.

What Stays the Same

The county's business impact estimate says the change affects only interior "side" property line setbacks. Other rules stay in place, including the 300-foot buffer from residential zoning or use, the 150-foot buffer from churches, schools, public parks and similar sites, the 1,000-foot spacing between signs, and the 675-square-foot, 50-foot-high and 50-foot-wide size limits in the existing code.

Who Asked and How It Got Here

A private party requested the change, according to the county's business impact estimate. The Land Development Regulation Commission reviewed the applicant's language on Sept. 2, 2026, and, with staff-recommended language, held its own public hearing on Sept. 30, where it recommended approval. The county's notice was posted on its legal notices page on Oct. 9.

The estimate says the rule does not require any off-site signs; it only allows an exception when neighboring owners agree. Staff estimated that 142 to 206 miles of major roadway frontage is next to land eligible for off-site signs, excluding planned unit developments.

How to Weigh In

Public comment is part of both hearings. The agenda lists the planning contact at the Growth Services Department, 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd., at 352-438-2600, where the proposed ordinance can be reviewed. The five commissioners are listed on our Marion County Commission page.

Land use is also the subject of other recent board decisions. See our report on the board's Oct. 6 vote in the agricultural enclave case and the Oct. 6 meetings recap. For corridors where signs are most visible, see State Road 200 in Ocala.

Sources: Marion County Board of County Commissioners Public Hearing Meeting agenda packet, Oct. 22, 2026 (File Nos. 2026-24750 and 2026-24751, including the proof of publication, business impact estimate, draft ordinance and Section 4.4.5 text). Checked Oct. 17, 2026.