Nearly 210 Residential Units Planned for 56+ Acres, City of Winter Haven Approves Assignment of Zoning and Land Use
by James Coulter
Approximately 210 single-family residential units are planned to be constructed on more than 56 acres of land, pursuant to the assignment of Future Land Use and zoning designations on property voluntarily annexed into the City of Winter Haven.
At their regular meeting on Mon. Oct. 28, Winter Haven City Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the second reading of Ordinance O-24-30, assigning a Future Land Use designation of Neighborhood Suburban, and voted 4-1 to approve Ordinance O-24-31 assigning Multi-Family Residential – Low Density (R-3) zoning. The majority of the property was designated Residential Low -3 (RL-3) in the County, prior to annexation into the City of Winter Haven.
Located north of Ware Ave. NE and south of Lake Smart, the approximately 56-acre parcel was annexed into the City on Apr.8, 2024. According to the agenda item memo: “The subject property is surrounded by citrus groves to the east; Hilltop Church of Christ and single-family residential to the south; single-family residential to the west; and Lake Smart to the north.”
Peterson and Myers, PA had requested the assignment of zoning and Future Land Use to facilitate a proposed development, which is expected to provide 210 single-family residential units at 3.7 units per acre, as outlined in the city agenda memo.
Mayor Pro-Tem Brian Yates inquired about potential transportation issues, specifically about access points on the property. He asked whether it would be possible to provide additional access points near 9th or 11th Street.
“They wouldn’t just send everyone out to the west, right?” he asked. “I would imagine they would come down 9th or 11thstreet.”
Eric Labbe, Economic Opportunity and Community Investment Director, mentioned that rights-of-ways are being considered for future roads, as the development will require connecting roads between all subdivisions to disperse traffic.
City Commissioner Clifton Dollison added that traffic along Martin Luther King Boulevard has been rather busy lately. He also mentioned some vehicles must wait for four light changes at Lucerne Park. As such, traffic has experienced a “significant increase.”
