County planners recommend overlay districts for targeted corridors; South Florida Avenue identified as priority

Hardee County planners and consultants told commissioners on Oct. 2 that an overlay‑district approach would allow the county to set area‑specific standards for infrastructure, design and connectivity without changing base zoning or future‑land‑use entitlements.

Jennifer Cotto Salisbury of the Central Florida Regional Planning Council described overlays as a tool to provide a more detailed local framework — for example, to prioritize sidewalks, drainage improvements, multimodal connections, neighborhood stability and design standards along corridors. She said overlays do not alter underlying zoning or land‑use entitlements but add a supplementary set of guidelines and standards for a defined geography.

The staff suggested several candidate geographies, with South Florida Avenue and the area south of Zolfo Springs (east side of U.S. 17) among the priorities discussed. Commissioners noted the proximity of the South Florida Avenue corridor to the City of Wauchula’s services and favored coordinating with city staff to achieve complementary design and infrastructure outcomes.

Commissioners expressed support for moving forward with public workshops and advisory‑committee engagement; one commissioner recommended joint workshops with the county’s industrial development authority and city officials to bring a coordinated perspective. Staff said they would begin community outreach and return with a recommended process and schedule.

The consultants noted an initial pilot overlay had already been developed for the Torrey community and that lessons learned there could inform corridor work on Florida Avenue and Polk Road. Commissioners recommended focusing overlay discussions where water and sewer availability could support more concentrated growth and where connectivity to schools, parks and services would yield the highest community benefit.