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Planning board recommends approval for Mosaic Fertilizers' Florida Fishing Trail Phase 2 site plan
Summary
Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of a site development plan to convert six reclaimed mine lakes into public fishing areas with parking, docks and a check‑in station, contingent on reclamation and landscaping conditions.
The Hardee County Planning and Zoning Board on Aug. 7 recommended approval of a site development plan from Mosaic Fertilizers LLC to develop six reclaimed lakes and a check‑in station as the Florida Fishing Trail Phase 2 project.
Jordan, planning staff, told the board the application covers multiple parcels southeast of Bowling Green within the South Fort Meade mine area totaling about 1,692.8 acres and that the proposal’s physical footprint for Phase 2 is roughly five acres across ten parcels. The proposed uses — parking, docks along six lakes and one check‑in station — were described as public outdoor recreation and are a permitted use in the A‑1 zoning district, Jordan said. "Staff recommends approval ... with the following conditions," Jordan said, listing reclamation and landscaping conditions.
The project will proceed under the county’s Master Mine and Reclamation Plan (MMRP) and remains subject to Development Order 2023‑47, Jordan said. Deb Butler, Hardee County mining coordinator, told the board that the site plan review is separate from the MMRP: "This meeting is about the site plan ... you will see [MMRP amendments] in the future," she said, and confirmed the applicant must submit reclamation approval to the county mining department when reclamation is complete.
Representatives for the applicant described Phase 1 as substantially complete, with parking, docks and boat ramps built and the check‑in station permitted but not yet finished. Consultant Ahmed Trezza Sadighat and engineer John D'Aiello reviewed Phase 2 drawings showing lakes, parking, ADA‑compliant docks and trails. The applicant’s presentation included an illustrative schedule that estimated construction for various lakes (for example, Lake 1 and Lake 3 in 2028, Lake 6 and the check‑in station by 2030) and stated some dates are approximate.
A board member moved to approve Planning & Zoning Application 25‑31 with conditions requiring reclamation be completed per the approved MMRP and submission of reclamation approval to the Hardee County Mining Department (section 13.03.06c14 of the Hardee County Unified Land Development Code), and that landscaping and signage comply with the ULDC to the satisfaction of the planning and development department. The motion was seconded and carried.
The board’s approval is a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners where final action is taken. The conditions recorded by staff mean reclamation approval and MMRP compliance must be demonstrated before development may proceed beyond the site plan review.
