Future Polk County Fire Rescue Station Planned south of Lakeland
by James Coulter
A new fire station will be coming to a 2.15-acre property near Lakeland now that a change has been approved to the Small-Scale Comprehensive Plan.
At their meeting on Tues., Oct. 7, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the Small-Scale Comprehensive Plan for the proposed site of a new county fire station.
The 2.15-acre property is located at 4145 Willis Road, south of Lakeland and north of Mulberry. Its designation will be changed from Residential Suburban (RS) to Institutional (INST) to facilitate the proposed fire station.
The current fire facility within the area is too small for the needed staff and equipment to cover the response areas. As such, the proposed station is part of a plan for South Lakeland area public safety improvements.
The proposal has been reviewed and deemed consistent with the county’s Comprehensive Plan, specifically the Land Development Code.
