MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The final public hearing for a proposed roadway project that will improve the existing infrastructure will be held Aug. 6, 2025, at 1 p.m. at the McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium.
Part of an area that was platted more than a century ago, may soon have a facelift, as the Marion County Board of County Commissioners will consider the adoption of a resolution per parcel assessment for the East Lake-Woodmar Improvement Area project. East Lake was platted in 1885 and Woodmar in 1905.
On June 17, 2025, the county board adopted the initial assessment resolution, proposing the creation of the East Lake-Woodmar Improvement Area. An informational meeting regarding the proposed project was held on July 29, 2025, at Albright Park and the Kiwanis Beach Clubhouse in Weirsdale.
The area in question near Lake Weir, is SE 143rd St. and SE 145th Avenue, with both being lime rock roadways that are currently being maintained by Marion County. The project has a total of 0.36 miles of new road construction, the creation of drainage swales and engineered ditch blocks.
Staff recommends adopting the resolution authorizing the per parcel unit assessment for a 15-year assessment period for the East Lake-Woodmar Improvement Area and to certify the assessment roll to the county tax collector.
A motion to award project East Lake-Woodmar Improvement Area to Integrity Site Development Inc., the contractor, would need to be approved by the board.
The estimated expenditure for the project is $540,685.95, and the budget impact is considered neutral. Construction Costs are $378,107.88 and the loaded costs for the project are the aforementioned $540,685.95. A cost-loaded schedule integrates project scheduling into a single process that outlines the timeline to complete the project activities and assigns a cost to them. The per parcel assessment is $8,863,70.
There will more than likely be some opposition to the proposed project at the public hearing as this was a petition-based road improvement that passed with 51.4% of the responding property owners voting in favor of the road assessment.