Residents near Dundee Road raise traffic and safety concerns after first reading of rezoning request

City staff presented a rezoning request on March 10 to change a 4.89‑acre parcel at the southwest corner of Dundee Road and Overlook Drive Southeast from Industrial Light (I‑1) to Commercial Highway (C‑3). The request, filed by Avid Group LLC, would allow a three‑lot commercial subdivision with uses and development standards consistent with the C‑3 district; staff said the rezoning is consistent with the property’s future land‑use designation and that the Planning Commission voted on Feb. 4 to recommend approval.

The item is notable for nearby residents because the site backs directly to the Overlook Ridge neighborhood and has three bus stops and multiple school pickups nearby. Karen Stockman, an Overlook Ridge resident and HOA board member, said she is hearing impaired and asked for better multilingual communications for planning notices and clearer community outreach for residents who split their time seasonally outside Florida. “If it was possible, please, to have the letter of notice of the planning done in English and also in Spanish,” Stockman said, offering the HOA’s email list as a distribution channel.

Stockman and other residents told commissioners they were concerned about lighting, noise, and traffic conflicts if the parcel is developed for convenience retail or similar uses. They pointed to the existing concentration of convenience stores within a half‑mile and asked the city to study potential crime and nuisance effects and to improve lighting along Overlook Drive between Dundee Road and Calvary Baptist Church. City staff responded that notices were mailed according to Florida law and that the city would explore providing Spanish‑language notices in future planning notifications. Eric Labbe, director of economic opportunity and community investment, said the rezoning is effectively a down‑zoning from I‑1 to C‑3 and that staff believes the commercial zoning would be more compatible with adjacent residential uses than industrial uses.

No final action was taken; the item was presented on first reading and will return to the commission for a second reading on March 24. Staff materials shown at the meeting included the parcel size (4.89 acres), the petitioner name (Avid Group LLC), and a recommendation to approve.

Residents also asked the city to work with county or state authorities to monitor accidents at the intersection and to consider additional signage; Stockman said a request documenting crashes at Overlook Drive and Dundee Road is pending with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.