by James Coulter
Industry could be arriving south of Lake Wales now that more than 173 acres of land are planned to be annexed into the city limits with its zoning and land use designation changed to industrial.
At their meeting on Tues. Aug. 19, 2025, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve the first reading of three ordinances about the annexation, rezoning, and land use designation change of more than 173 acres of land located along Hunt Brothers Road.
The first ordinance would annex the subject property into the city limits. The second ordinance would change that property’s land use designation from County Agricultural/Rural Residential (ARR) to Industrial (IND) Park. And the third ordinance would change that property’s zoning from County ARR to City I-1 Industrial.
The subject property is located north and south of Hunt Brothers Road, with its northern parcels located east of the Lake Wales Memorial Gardens and the Soccer Complex and south of Passion Play Road.
The property was requested for annexation as its southern parcels “are adjacent to existing Hunt Brothers property already within city limits and recently re-assigned Land Use and Zoning from Business Park to Industrial,” wrote Autumn Cochella, Director of Growth Management.
“No development plans for the properties have been submitted at this time,” Cochella wrote. “Assignment would enable the future development of these properties and the potential increase in property value.”
One resident spoke in favor of the annexation during public comments. Charlene Bennett voiced her support for annexing the land and, in doing so, bringing in potential industrial jobs. However, she also voiced concern about the newly annexed property falling into the wrong hands.
“I don’t know anybody who doesn’t know we can have industrial sites so we can have better jobs and not allow it to be a bedroom community,” she said. “If that land gets into the wrong hands, it has the potential of just being residential rather than mixed. So we are under the current owner to do what is best.”
Commissioner Carol Gillespie likewise voiced her support of the annexation, claiming the city needed more industrial land to promote more industrial businesses and jobs.
“I agree with what she [Bennett] said, that we want more industrial land, and this certainly plays right along with it,” she said. “So, I see no reason why we would not approve this.”
The second reading of these three ordinances will be held at a future city commission meeting to be hosted at Lake Wales City Hall.
