Lake Okeechobee News
January 21, 2026
NOTICE OF CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED ZONING RECLASSIFICATION
NOTICE: A PUBLIC HEARING will be held before the Okeechobee County Planning Board on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Health Department Auditorium, 1728 NW 9th Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida to consider a request for a change in zoning from the existing classification of Residential Single Family (RSF) to the proposed classification of Planned Development (PD). The preliminary plan proposes development of Okeechobee Trace on approximately 339 acres consisting of 175 townhome lots, 463 single-family lots of varying area, and 7.8 acres for commercial uses. The property owner and applicant is Ridge Farms, LLC. The property address is 747 SW 48th Avenue, and is more particularly described as follows:
A PARCEL OF LAND LYING IN SECTIONS 23 AND 24, TOWNSHIP 37 SOUTH, RANGE 34 EAST, OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA. BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCE AT A RAILROAD SPIKE MARKING THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 24, THENCE S 00"18'51" E (REFERENCE BEARING) ALONG THE EAST LINE OF SECTION 24, ALSO BEING THE CENTERLINE OF S.W. 48TH AVENUE (F/K/A S.R. 70-A), A DISTANCE OF 16.08 FEET;
THENCE N 89"59"19" W, A DISTANCE OF 50.00 FEET TO A 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT WITH CAP #LB6329 MARKING THE INTERSECTION OF THE WEST LINE OF THE S.W. 48TH AVENUE RIGHT OF WAY (101' IN WIDTH) AND THE SOUTH LINE OF THE STATE ROAD #70 RIGHT OF WAY (100' IN WIDTH) AND THE POINT OF BEGINNING.
THENCE S 00"18'51' E ALONG SAID WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF S.W. 48TH AVE., A DISTANCE OF 2475.94 FEET: THENCE S 00"19'06" E, CONTINUING ALONG SAID WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 231.28 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION WITH THE SOUTH LINE OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH FLORIDA FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT'S (C&SFFCD) LEVEE L-62 RIGHT-OF-WAY AS SHOWN ON THE C&SFFCD (N/K/A SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT) RIGHT OF WAY AND TOPO MAP FOR LEVEE L-62, DWG. NO. L-62-6, SHEET 5 OF 6, LAST REVISION DATE 4/10/73;
THENCE S 89"23'00" W ALONG SAID SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF LEVEE 62, A DISTANCE OF 4637.67 FEET TO A 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT WITH CAP #LB6329;
THENCE N 00"37'00"W, PERPENDICULAR TO THE PRECEDING COURSE AND CONTINUING ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 5.08 FEET TO A 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT WITH CAP #LB6329;
THENCE S 89"23'00" W CONTINUING ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 737.96 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION WITH THE WEST BOUNDARY LINE OF THE SOUTH 1/2 OF AFORESAID SECTION 24 AS MARKED WITHA 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT WITH CAP #LB6329;
THENCE N 00"02'28" E ALONG SAID WEST BOUNDARY LINE OF THE SOUTH 1/2 OF SECTION 24, A DISTANCE OF 135.01 FEET TO THE WEST 1/4 CORNER OF SECTION 24;
THENCE N 00"05'37"E ALONG THE WEST BOUNDARY LINE OF THE NORTH 1/2 OF SAID SECTION 24, A DISTANCE OF 115.01 FEET TO A 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT WITH CAP #LB6329 MARKING THE INTERSECTION WITH SAID WEST BOUNDARY LINE OF THE NORTH 1/2 AND NORTH LINE OF AFORESAID LEVEE L-62 RIGHT OF WAY, ALSO BEING THE SOUTH BOUNDARY LINE OF "LAZY SEVEN RANCH ACRES" SUBDIVISION ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 5, PAGES 10 AND 11 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA;
THENCE N 89"23'00" E ALONG SAID NORTH LINE OF THE C&SFFCD'S L-62 RIGHT OF WAY, A DISTANCE OF 486.77 FEET TO A 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT AND 3/4" CAPPED IRON PIPE MARKING THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID "LAZY SEVEN RANCH ACRES" SUBDIVISION;
THENCE N 23"03'02 W ALONG THE EASTERLY BOUNDARY LINE OF SAID "LAZY SEVEN RANCH ACRES" SUBDIVISION, A DISTANCE OF 2288.28 FEET;
THENCE N 01"01'12" E, CONTINUING ALONG SAID EAST BOUNDARY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 400.13 FEET TO A 5/8" REBAR WITH CAP #2084 MARKING THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF "LAZY SEVEN RANCH ACRES" SUBDIVISION AND A POINT ON THE SOUTH LINE OF THE AFORESAID RIGHT OF WAY FOR STATE ROAD #70;
THENCE N 89"59'00"ALONG SAID SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF S.R. #70, A DISTANCE OF 406. 19 FEET TO A 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT WITH CAP #LB6329 MARKING THE INTERSECTION WITH THE EAST BOUNDARY LINE OF AFORESAID SECTION 23;
THENCE S 89"59'19" E, CONTINUING ALONG SAID SOUTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF S.R. #70, A DISTANCE OF 5353.12 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING.
LESS AND EXCEPT
A PARCEL OF LAND LYING IN SECTION 24, TOWNSHIP 37 SOUTH, RANGE 34 EAST, OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA. BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCE AT THE WEST 1/4 CORNER OF SAID SECTION 24, THENCE N 00"05'37"E ALONG THE WEST BOUNDARY LINE OF THE NORTH 1/2 OF SAID SECTION 24, A DISTANCE OF 115.01 FEET TO A 4"X4" CONCRETE MONUMENT WITH CAP #LB6329 MARKING THE INTERSECTION WITH SAID WEST BOUNDARY LINE OF THE NORTH 1/2 AND NORTH LINE OF AFORESAID LEVEE L-62 RIGHT OF WAY, ALSO BEING THE SOUTH BOUNDARY LINE OF "LAZY SEVEN RANCH ACRES" SUBDIVISION ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 5, PAGES 10 AND 11 OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA.
THENCE N 89"23'00" E ALONG SAID NORTH LINE OF THE C&SFFCD'S L-62 RIGHT OF WAY, A DISTANCE OF 635.00 FEET;
THENCE N 00"37'00"W, PERPENDICULAR TO THE PRECEDING COURSE AND CONTINUING ALONG SAID RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 10.00 FEET FOR THE POINT OF BEGINNING;
THENCE N 89"23'00" E, CONTINUING ALONG SAID NORTH RIGHT OF WAY LINE, A DISTANCE OF 100.00 FEET; THENCE N oo 37'00" w, A DISTANCE OF 30.00 FEET;
THENCE S 89"23'00" W, A DISTANCE OF 100.00 FEET;
THENCE S 00"37'00" E, PERPENDICULAR TO THE PRECEDING COURSE, A DISTANCE OF 30.00 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING.
A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING to consider the request for a change in zoning will be held before the Board of County Commissioners on Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. in the Judge William L. Hendry Courtroom, Room 270, Historic Okeechobee County Courthouse, 304 NW2nd Street, Okeechobee, Florida. The request for a change in zoning will be considered by the following titled ordinance:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 92-20 (LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA), TO PROVIDE FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ATLAS; TO PROVIDE FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING. Any person deciding to appeal any decision by the Planning Board/Board of Adjustments and Appeals or the Board of County Commissioners with respect to any matter considered at these meetings or hearings will need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made and that the record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal will be based. County Clerk and Community Development tapes are for the sole purpose of backup for official records of the County Clerk and of the Community Development Department.
Okeechobee County Community Development Department
1700 NW 9th Avenue, Suite A; Okeechobee, Florida 34972
Petition L-2025-0002
36265 LON 1/14,21/2026
Miscellaneous Notices