A 3.87-acre parcel near Shimmering Drive could shift from homes to an activity center

The owner of roughly 3.87 acres near Shimmering Drive in the Lakeland area has asked Polk County to change the property's Future Land Use Map designation from Residential (Low/Suburban) to Community Activity Center-X (CAC). The application was filed by Dario Cardona of Clark, Commercial Park, LLC. County records describe the request as tied to an activity center plan and an expansion of an activity center.

The county Planning Commission recommended approval on June 3, 2026, and the Board of County Commissioners held a first reading on July 7, 2026, where staff noted no action was required and no one spoke at the public hearing. An adoption hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2026.

The records do not spell out what would ultimately be built on the site, its size, or a timeline. Those details are not yet public. Two county records differ slightly on the current designation, describing it as both "Residential Low" and "Residential-Suburban."