Two Parcels along Avenue H SE Receive Preliminary Approval for Rezoning
by James Coulter
Two parcels containing a vacant lot and an 84-year-old house have been given preliminary approval for re-zoning to accommodate a proposed duplex.
At their recent meeting on Mon. Apr. 13, Winter Haven city commissioners voted unanimously to approve the first reading of an ordinance rezoning property along Avenue H SE.
The subject property, totaling +0.30 acres, consists of two 50-foot-wide parcels. One parcel exists as a lot that has remained vacant for 20 years. The other contains a single-family unit constructed in 1932.
Currently, this property has a C-3 zoning district, assigned to the parcels in 2000. Previously, they had been assigned commercial zoning in 1999, and before that, residential zoning through at least 1969, according to a review of historic zoning maps.
“Each lot contains approximately 6,543 square feet, exceeding the 5,000-square-foot minimum lot size requirement of the C-3 zoning district. However…it is highly unlikely these properties will redevelop with a use permitted in the C-3 zoning district,” the city agenda memo states.
The property has been petitioned as the site of a proposed duplex, which is planned to be constructed on the parcel existing as a vacant lot located at 120 Avenue H SE. The home, meanwhile, located at 124 Avenue H SE, currently operates as a legal nonconforming use.
“Rezoning the property from C-3 to MX would bring the existing single-family residence into compliance as a permitted use,” the memo states.
“The requested MX zoning district represents a more appropriate zoning designation for these two parcels. The current C-3 standards—including setbacks, parking requirements, stormwater regulations, and buffering—significantly limit the reasonable redevelopment potential of these small lots for a viable commercial use,” the memo continued.
“In contrast, the MX district better aligns with the historic residential pattern of the properties and supports reinvestment compatible with the surrounding area,” the memo further elaborated.
The second reading of the ordinance will be reviewed and voted upon at an upcoming Winter Haven City Commission meeting.
