Lakelandmarks
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Approved Industrial
Recker Highway corridor, south of Auburndale

8.6 acres near Recker Highway rezoned for industrial use

Recker Highway corridor, south of Auburndale Applicant: Zachary Thornton (owner: Premier Parking US LLC)

Polk County commissioners approved switching an 8.59-acre site south of Auburndale from business-park to industrial land use.

A roughly 8.59-acre property north of Highway 542 W and east of Recker Highway, just south of the City of Auburndale, has had its Future Land Use Map designation changed from Business Park Center (BPC) to Industrial (IND). The applicant is Zachary Thornton and the site is owned by Premier Parking US LLC.

The Polk County Board of County Commissioners approved the small-scale comprehensive plan amendment at its June 16, 2026 adoption hearing, following a recommendation of approval from staff and the Planning Commission. County staff noted the site is adjacent to a railroad and is surrounded by vacant land and higher-intensity uses.

The records describe only the land use change itself. No specific building, business plan, or construction timeline appears in these filings.

What happens next

With the land use designation changed to Industrial, any future development would go through separate zoning and site-plan review. No specific project is described in these records.

Timeline

May 6
Planning Commission recommended approval; one resident spoke in opposition citing parking and a busy highway
Planning Commission minutes (LDCPAS-2026-7)
Jun 2
Commissioners set the adoption hearing date
BoCC agenda item 26-0940
Jun 16
Board of County Commissioners adopted the land use change from Business Park Center to Industrial on +/- 8.59 acres
BoCC adoption hearing 26-1048

Receipts — verify every claim

Polk County hearing case LDCPAS-2026-7
gis.polk-county.net Planning Commission meeting (26-0719)
polkcountyfl.legistar.com BoCC set-hearing item (26-0940)
polkcountyfl.legistar.com BoCC adoption hearing (26-1048)
polkcountyfl.legistar.com
Spotted by the Lakelandmarks records pipeline · updated Jul 8, 2026

Summaries are derived from public permit and agenda records and may contain errors — verify with the City of Lakeland or Polk County before relying on them. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.

Sources for this page: Polk County hearing-case map · Polk County Legistar agendas.