Polk County Land Use Hearing Officer · April 23, 2026
Meeting date: April 23, 2026Summarized 2026-09-01 17:14
# Summary: Polk County Land Use Hearing Officer Meeting — April 23, 2026
This meeting covered routine land use variance and special exception cases. No dollar amounts, contracts, or budget items were discussed. No formal votes with movers/seconders are recorded in the minutes; each case concluded with staff recommendations of approval and closure of the public hearing portion, but the minutes do not document the LUHO's final decision/ruling on any case.
**Old Business:**
- **LDLVAR-2025-78 (2787 Recker Hwy)** — Withdrawn.
**New Business — Cases Heard:**
1. **LDLSE-2026-3 (Country Club Road SE)** — Special exception request for commercial vehicle parking in an RL-1 district. Staff recommended approval. 18 mailers sent (4/9/2026), with **2 oppositions** noted in notice responses; no opposition appeared at the hearing itself.
2. **LDLVAR-2026-1 (Shinabarker Variance)** — Side yard setback reduction for accessory structure. 36 mailers sent, no response. Staff recommended approval.
3. **LDLVAR-2026-2 (Public Storage Davenport)** — Right-of-way setback variance for commercial structure (applicant: Thomas Sullivan; owner: PS Florida One, LLC). **Continued to 5/28/2026**; not heard.
4. **LDLVAR-2026-5 (Byron Variance)** — Front yard and accessory structure side setback reductions for a detached garage. 17 mailers sent, no response. Staff recommended approval.
5. **LDLVAR-2026-6 (Slenk Variance)** — Right-of-way and side setback reductions for carport expansion. 35 mailers sent, no response. Staff recommended approval.
6. **LDLVAR-2026-7 (Chambers Street Variance)** — Variance to allow accessory structure larger than primary structure. 20 mailers sent, no response. Staff recommended approval.
7. **LDLVAR-2026-8 (Salmeron Variance)** — Side/rear setback reductions for accessory structure and screened room. 28 mailers sent, no response. Staff recommended approval.
8. **LDLVAR-2026-11 (Willow Drive ADU)** — Variance for oversized ADU (>1,000 sq ft) and rear setback. 30 mailers sent, no response. Staff recommended approval.
**Notable/Unusual Items:**
- One case (LDLVAR-2025-78) was **withdrawn**.
- One case (LDLVAR-2026-2, Public Storage Davenport) was **continued** to May 28, 2026, without a hearing on the merits.
- Case #2 (Country Club Road SE) was the only item with recorded opposition (2 of 18 mailer recipients), though no one appeared in person to oppose.
- All other cases proceeded with uncontested staff recommendations of approval and no public opposition.
Meeting adjourned at 2:36 p.m.