OCALA, FL (352Today.com) – Marion County just took the first step toward letting billboards get a little cozier with their neighbors.
At its Tuesday, October 20, 2026, meeting, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners approved scheduling two public hearings on a proposed change to the Land Development Code that would loosen setback rules for off-site signs, commonly known as billboards.
The item, a walk-on from the Oct. 6 meeting, authorizes hearings on amendments to Section 4.4.5 of the Land Development Code. The change would create an exception allowing an off-site sign face to sit on or straddle an interior side property line between two contiguous commercial or industrial parcels, provided a sign easement is recorded before a permit is issued.
Right now, off-site signs must be set back at least 15 feet from a property line or street right-of-way. Under the proposal, only the overhead sign face could cross the shared line; the supporting structure and foundation would still have to sit entirely on one parcel. Both properties must be in zoning districts that already allow off-site signs and carry commercial or industrial future land use designations. Residential parcels would remain ineligible.
Other existing limits, including the 1,000-foot spacing requirement, maximum size and height, and buffers from homes, schools, churches, and parks, would not change. A private applicant requested the amendment. The Land Development Regulation Commission reviewed it and recommended approval with staff revisions.
The first hearing is set for Thursday, Oct. 22, at 5:30 p.m. The second is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, at 9 a.m. Both will be held in the McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium. The board approved the scheduling request 4-0.
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