§ 23-401. District classifications.

The following zoning districts are defined for designating all properties in the City of Lake Wales consistent with the future land use map of the comprehensive plan. See section 23-421 for uses allowed in the zoning districts and section 23-422 for dimensional requirements and restrictions.

Provisions of this chapter for uses, densities, and land use intensity limits may be more restrictive than general guidelines set forth for future land use classifications of the comprehensive plan.

Public uses and facilities are permitted in all districts subject to approval by the city commission and courtesy site plan review and recommendation from the planning board.

a. Residential districts.

R-1A Residential district. This district is designed to encourage and protect low density single-family development. The R-1A zoning designation is intended for use in areas classified on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan as LDR - Low Density Residential.

R-1B Residential district. This district is designed to encourage and protect low density single-family development and to permit the continued development of already platted low density single-family residential areas. The R-1B zoning designation is intended for assignment to lands classified as MDR - Medium Density Residential and may be assigned to those classified as LDR - Low Density Residential on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan.

R-1C Residential district. This district is designed primarily to permit the continued development of already platted medium density single-family residential areas and is not intended to be utilized extensively for future development. The R-1C zoning designation is intended for assignment to lands classified as MDR - Medium Density Residential and may be assigned to lands classified as HDR - High Density Residential on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan.

R-1D Residential district. This district is designed primarily to permit the continued development of already platted high density single-family residential areas and is not intended to be utilized for future development. The R-1D zoning designation is intended for assignment to lands classified as MDR - Medium Density Residential and may be assigned to lands classified as HDR - High Density Residential on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan.

R-2 Residential district. This district is designed for designation of developed neighborhoods with significant numbers of duplex houses and to permit medium-density residential development consisting of both single-family and two-family dwellings on infill lots in such neighborhoods. It is not intended for use on large tracts of vacant land. The R-2 zoning designation is intended for infill development on lands classified as HDR - High Density Residential on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan.

R-3 Residential district. This district is designed for designation of developed multi-family neighborhoods and to permit higher density residential development, consisting of single-family, two-family and multiple-family dwellings, on infill lots in multi-family neighborhoods. It is not intended for use on large tracts of vacant land. The R-3 zoning designation is intended for infill development on lands classified as HDR - High Density Residential on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan.

b. Professional, commercial and industrial districts. An (A) or (B) designation following a district designation refers to the front building setback requirement per Table 23-422B.

PF Professional district. This district is designed to permit a mix of offices, medical and light commercial businesses and medium density residential uses on major roadways and to provide areas for support businesses to major facilities such as hospitals.

C-1 Downtown commercial district. This district is designed to encourage and facilitate a mix of residential uses and commercial activities in compact, pedestrian oriented, central business districts with a variety of traditional downtown uses such as small retail stores, offices, restaurants, hotels, and apartments.

C-1A Downtown core district. This sub-district of the C-1 district is designed to create a mixed-use center for day-time and evening cultural and commercial activities where people live, work, or visit and where they can enjoy historic architecture, shopping, dining, music, special events, strolling, and relaxing in public spaces.

C-2 Commercial. This district is designed to encourage medium-scale commercial uses, primarily in groupings or on inter-connected sites rather than on isolated properties.

C-2R Commercial/residential district. This district is designed to encourage a mix of residential and light commercial uses in groupings and on individual lots on the periphery of the central business districts.

C-3 Highway commercial district. This district is designed to permit the development of commercial areas in groupings on major highways and to allow medium and large-scale commercial establishments and a full range of commercial and professional uses.

C-4 Neighborhood commercial district. This district is designed to permit the development of local commercial areas to serve surrounding residential areas with small-scale convenience goods and personal services.

C-5 Village center district. This district is designed to allow the development of new commercial centers, planned within large residential developments to provide a wide range of small to medium sized commercial uses and personal services in a setting geared to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

LCI - Limited commercial-industrial district. This district is designed to permit a mix of commercial and industrial uses.

BP Business Park. This district is intended for discrete areas established and designed for a mixture of professional, light industrial, wholesale, and professional uses, including hotels and motels and car dealerships, and excluding retail, drive-up restaurants, service and other commercial uses catering directly to consumers except those accessory to a principal use.

I-1 Industrial park district. This district is designed to encourage and promote the development of industrial uses, primarily on vacant lands and in industrial park settings.

I-2 Industrial infill district. This district is intended to facilitate infill and redevelopment in developed industrial areas and to encourage the development of manufacturing and industrial uses on vacant property in largely developed areas.

PDMU Planned Development Mixed-use district. This district is intended to implement Policy 2.18 of the Comprehensive Plan, in order to facilitate large-scale, mixed-use master planned development on large tracts of land. Properties zoned PDMU shall seek approval of a Master Development Plan, in accordance with Division 5, Section23-450 of these Land Use and Development Regulations.

D-MU Downtown Mixed-use district . This district is designed to encourage and facilitate a mix of residential uses and commer cial activities in a compact, traditional downtown setting including retail shopfronts, offices, restaurants, hotels, apartments, live/work units and rowhouses in street-oriented buildings that line walkable, pedestrian-oriented streets.

c. Conservation and recreation districts.

CN - Conservation district. This district is intended to protect lands that have been set aside for preservation of natural resources and whose use is restricted to uses consistent with that purpose.

R - Recreation. This district is intended to designate areas that have been set aside for recreation and other public uses.

d. Overlay districts.

Flood hazard district. This district denotes areas identified as areas of special flood hazard by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Potable Water Wellhead Protection Areas. This district establishes protection zones around city wells.

Downtown Historic Business District. This district recognizes the central business district as an area important to the heritage of the community.

Core Improvement Area. This district is designated for the purpose of encouraging revitalization, redevelopment and rehabilitation.

(Ord. No. 2006-24, § 13, 6-6-06; Ord. No. 2008-12, § 1, 5-20-08; Ord. No. 2008-29, § 1, 9-2-08; Ord. No. 2010-11, § 1, 6-15-10; Ord. No. 2020-27, § 1, 10-20-20; Ord. No. 2022-37, § 1, 9-07-22)