by James Coulter
More than 10 acres of land south of Grove Avenue East and west of Hamlin Street have been annexed into the city with zoning and future land use designation changes.
At their regular meeting on Tues. Nov. 18, 2025, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously on the second reading of three ordinances regarding 10 acres of land located at 30 Watts Ranch.
The ordinances annexed the land into the city and changed its zoning and future land use designation to City Single-Family Residential (R-1D) to City Medium Density Residential (MDR).
The subject property currently consists of vacant groves and is “surrounded by existing single-family homes north of Grove Avenue, and the platted subdivision known as Groves at Hunt Club to the west, south, and east,” wrote Autumn Cochella, Director of Growth Management.
The property owners do not have any immediate plans for development.
