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City staff says Fantasy Island operation conflicts with zoning, parking and alcohol rules at 221 MLK Blvd NE
Summary
Senior planner Heather Reuter told the commission the property at 221 Martin Luther King Boulevard NE is C‑3 zoned but sits adjacent to R‑3 residential zoning; staff documented operational changes, a shortfall of required parking, and observations that prompted code compliance actions and a state inspection.
Heather Reuter, senior planner for Winter Haven, told the commission during a July 27 de novo hearing that case P2602S concerns a request to operate a large‑scale drinking establishment at 221 Martin Luther King Boulevard NE.
"Case number P2602S is a request by Samuel Anisette, applicant, for special use approval for a large scale drinking establishment located in the Commercial Highway C‑3 zoning district," Reuter said while showing zoning and aerial maps. She described the building as about 1,536 square feet on roughly 0.15 acres and said the site currently has approximately 10 legal nonconforming parking spaces. Under the Unified Land Development Code, Reuter said, a large‑scale drinking establishment of that size requires a minimum of 22 off‑street parking spaces.
Staff reported code‑compliance history including a September 2025 complaint, a January 2026 special magistrate finding of a violation, and a March 17, 2026 affidavit of compliance after some fixtures and advertised events were removed. Reuter told the commission that during a week in June 2026 the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco conducted an inspection and confiscated 19 bottles that staff observed during an inspection, and a joint city inspection on June 12 showed outdoor patio seating and promotional materials that prompted a repeat violation case scheduled for a code enforcement hearing in August 2026.
Reuter also summarized staff's recommended conditions should the commission approve the use, including an approved site plan and required improvements before operating as a large‑scale drinking establishment, annual submission of any off‑site parking agreements used to meet the parking requirement, minimum security staffing for promoted events (two off‑duty officers or two licensed private security officers), occupancy/queuing limits, a requirement that no outdoor seating or entertainment be permitted at the location, and installation of an eight‑foot opaque fence along the western and northern property lines. Reuter said failure to comply with those conditions could be grounds for revocation under the Unified Land Development Code.
The presentation framed several constraints the commission will weigh: the code's parking minimums, the proximity of R‑3 residential zoning immediately north of the parcel, and the requirement that off‑site leased parcels be improved and approved through the site's plan review before counting toward the parking minimum.
