City of Winter Haven Votes 3-2 to Approve Zoning and Future Land Use Change to 56+ Acre Parcel; Proposed Development of 210 Residential Units
by James Coulter
Nearly 210 single-family residential units could be developed on a 56-acre parcel of land located south of Lake Smart now that the Winter Haven City Commission has voted to approve two ordinances changing its future land use and zoning designation.
At their recent meeting on Monday evening, Winter Haven city commissioners voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance to assign Neighborhood Suburban Future Land Use to an annexed parcel of land located south of Lake Smart.
City commissioners also considered an ordinance to assign that same parcel with a Multi-Family Residential- Low Density (R-3) zoning district, but this did not require a vote from them.
The parcel, totaling more than 56 acres, is located south of Lake Smart and north of Ware Avenue NE in Winter Haven. Currently, the land, which had been annexed in April 2024, “consists of citrus groves,” according to Senior Planner Heather Reuter in the city agenda memo.
Peterson and Myers, PA had requested the city consider changing the parcel’s zoning and future land use designation to help accommodate the proposed development, which plans “to develop the property at approximately 3.7 units per acre with 210 single-family residential units.”
“However,” Reuter wrote, “when R-3 development standards, right-of-ways, stormwater requirements, and existing Duke Energy easements are considered, it would be unlikely for the subject property to be developed at the maximum permitted density.”
While both ordinances were approved by the city commission, these votes were merely to allow these ordinances to be transmitted to the Florida Department of Commerce for review and approval.
“As these requests contain a large-scale Future Land Use amendment, review by the Florida Department of Commerce and other state and local agencies is required,” Reuter explained.
Shelton Rice, the attorney representing Peterson and Myers, PA, was present at the city commission meeting to answer any questions by the commissioners about the ordinances.
Rice claimed the proposed zoning and future land use designations were consistent with the zoning and land use designations within the surrounding area. Furthermore, the same entitlements were provided to a developer for a similar project along Old Bartow Lake Wales Road.
Mayor Pro Tiem Nathanial Birdsong asked if the proposed development would construct any buildings on the lakeside. Rice answered that the development was not subject to a binding site plan; however, there is an intent within the concept plan itself for a stormwater pond near the lake.
Also, Rice assured commissioners that while the proposed development had a maximum capacity of 200 to 210 units, the actual development would most likely have a lower density to match the surrounding neighborhood.
“This suburb neighborhood that we are asking for allows us to have a little lower density,” he said. “The minimum bumps up a little given our proximity to transit, and ensures that lesser intensive future land use designation what is on the neighboring properties to our west and south.”
