Planning Commission · March 4, 2026
Meeting date: March 4, 2026Summarized 2026-09-01 17:25
## Polk County Planning Commission — March 4, 2026 Regular Planning Meeting
**Attendance:** Workshop opened 8:50 a.m.; public hearing opened 9:00 a.m., both chaired by Merle Bishop. Members present: Bishop, Julie Jackson, Angel (Angelic) Sims, Cyndi Jantomaso, Brooke Agnini, Robert Beltran, plus alternate Linda Schultz. Hickman and Updike excused; Bass absent. Staff present included Deputy County Attorney Sandra Howard and multiple Land Development staff.
**No dollar amounts, contracts, or expenditures appear anywhere in the agenda or minutes.** This was a land-use/quasi-judicial hearing agenda only.
### Votes taken (all passed unanimously among members present)
- **February 4, 2026 minutes** — Approved. Mover: Sims; Seconder: Jantomaso.
- **Voir dire of expert witnesses** — Approved. Mover: Sims; Seconder: Beltran.
- **1. LDWA-2025-49 (Hatch Easement)** — Approved. Waiver to allow a newly split lot access via an easement exceeding 0.25 miles on 1.63± acres, Residential Low-1 within an Urban Growth Area, west of Bartow. Staff (Kyle Rogus) reported 17 mailers, one sign, legal ad in Polk Sun; no public response. Applicant Joey Manning agreed with staff. Mover: Beltran; Seconder: Sims.
- **2. LDCPAS-2025-38 (Toho Marigold INST/NAC CPA)** — Approved. Small Scale Comprehensive Plan map amendment from Development of Regional Impact-X to Institutional-X and Neighborhood Activity Center-X on 12.39± acres in the Utility Enclave Area, east of Haines City. Applicant Toho Water Authority; owner Marigold Development LLC. **Notable: Commissioner Beltran was recused**, making this the only item not voted on by the full panel present (6 ayes). Mover: Sims; Seconder: Jantomaso.
- **3. LDCPAS-2025-37 (Hwy 17/92 LCC CPA)** — Approved. Future Land Use Map change from Leisure/Recreation to Linear Commercial Corridor on 1.32± acres in an Urban Growth Area, northeast of Lake Alfred. Applicant Tom Wodrich, TPW Land Planning; owner Fortress Property Management Group LLC. Chair Bishop asked about current use; response noted "Maybe self-storage." Mover: Jantomaso; Seconder: Sims.
- **5. LDCT-2025-28 (Flex Space & Retail Plazas)** — Approved. LDC text amendment adding standards for Flex Space Buildings and Retail Plazas (Ch. 2, Sec. 221) and new definitions (Ch. 10). Mover: Beltran; Seconder: Agnini.
- **6. LDCT-2025-29 (Storage Yards)** — Approved. LDC text amendment creating a storage yard land use category (Ch. 2 Table 2.1), conditional use criteria (Sec. 303), use-table changes for the Ronald Reagan and South East Polk Selected Area Plans, and a definition allowing outdoor storage of raw materials and finished goods as a primary use. Beltran asked about timing for the property affected. Mover: Beltran; Seconder: Jantomaso.
- **7. LDCT-2025-30 (Administrative Plat Approval)** — Approved. LDC text amendment **shifting subdivision plat approval authority from the Board of County Commissioners to the Land Development Director**, per new requirements of Fla. Stat. Ch. 177.071, and adjusting the minimum construction cost threshold and financial-institution location requirements for Performance and Maintenance Securities (Sec. 909.B and 909.C). The specific dollar threshold is not stated in the minutes. Mover: Jantomaso; Seconder: Beltran.
- **Final "Recommendation of Approval"** entry (recorded after Comprehensive Plan update/Adjournment) — Mover: Beltran; Seconder: Jantomaso; unanimous.
### Deferrals / continuances
- **LDCU-2025-25 (Hudson MH)** — listed as continued; no discussion recorded.
- **4. LDCT-2026-1 Wahneta Main Street Overlay (MSC) LDC Text Amendment** — **Continued to April 1, 2026.** Mover: Beltran; Seconder: Jackson; unanimous. No reason for the continuance is stated in the minutes.
### Other observations
- No members of the public spoke on any item, and staff reported no public response to any of the seven noticed cases.
- The seconder field for the roll call/attendance vote is blank in the record.
- Item 7 is the most consequential procedurally, as it transfers a routine approval power from the elected Board of County Commissioners to a county staff director; the minutes record no discussion of it beyond the staff introduction.