Five acres near Medulla Road just opened up for new homes

Polk County commissioners approved a land-use change for 5.14 acres near Medulla Road, southwest of Lakeland: from Business Park Center to Residential Low, the county's category for low-density housing. The change was adopted May 19, 2026.

It didn't sail through. The county Planning Commission voted 4–3 to recommend denial on May 6, and county staff noted at the adoption hearing that the same property had been denied a residential designation back in 2020. The commissioners approved it anyway. The applicant, Anielys Salgado, had also asked the county in April to refund and waive about $4,858 in review fees; the outcome of that request isn't in the records collected.

The change affects what can be built there, not what will be — no home construction plans are in the records yet.