A commercial corner on Shimmering Drive is one vote from approval

Landowners are asking Polk County to shift 3.87 acres near Shimmering Drive, in the county area south of Lakeland, from low-density residential land use into a community activity center — the county's category for neighborhood commercial hubs. County agenda records describe it as an expansion of an existing activity center, with a companion code change spelling out conditions that limit which uses would be allowed.

The Planning Commission recommended approval on June 3, 2026. The county commission held a first reading on the companion ordinance on July 7 and set the adoption hearing for July 21, 2026. Dario Cardona is the applicant of record, associated in county records with Commercial Park, LLC.