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Planning commission approves Polk County Utilities water treatment site after noise, wildlife questions
Summary
The Polk County Planning Commission approved a conditional use for a 750,000-gallon water storage tank and treatment facility after staff recommended compatibility and the applicant presented noise tests; the county will survey for gopher tortoises and follow Florida Fish and Wildlife Service relocation procedures if needed.
The Polk County Planning Commission voted to approve LDCU 2025-11, a Polk County Utilities conditional-use request for a 750,000-gallon ground storage tank and supporting water-treatment facilities near Masterpiece Road.
Ian Nance, Land Development staff, told commissioners that staff "recommends approval finding the proposed site plan compatible with surrounding uses and consistent with the land development code and comprehensive plan." Jim Tully, Polk County Utilities' CIP manager, addressed community noise concerns and said he measured typical plant boundary noise with a NIOSH sound-meter app. "Background noise was about 45 decibels," Tully said, adding that when generators and pumps ran the meter rose to about "50 decibels... well below the 65 decibels required by code." Tully also said the facility will be operated remotely through SCADA and will require only occasional on-site maintenance visits.
During the public portion resident John Hare asked whether the county had surveyed for protected Florida gopher tortoises on the parcel. Tully said the county will "conduct a survey... including gopher tortoises" before construction and will "proceed with an application process through Florida Fish and Wildlife Service for relocation" if tortoises are found. Commissioners moved and adopted staff's recommendation in a roll-call vote; the chair had recused from voting on this item due to a disclosed employment conflict.
The approval is a conditional-use authorization; project implementation will include the statutorily required wildlife surveys and any state permitting for relocation, and the project will return to required permitting stages for site development.
