OKEECHOBEE – Okeechobee County Commissioners approved a zoning change for an RV park near the Rim Canal at their Sept. 12 meeting but warned the developer that when septic lines reach that area, the park will be required to hook up.

The property owner, LQ Investments Portfolio Ten, LLC, requested a change in zoning from Residential Mobile Home (RMH) to Commercial - Recreational Vehicle (C[1]RV) for the 18.5-acre property at 8275 US Highway 441 SE.

The land is on the north side of US Highway 441 SE, about a quarter mile west of CR 15-A. The property is in the Urban Residential Mixed Use future land use classification.

The applicant wants to develop a new RV park and plan to use a package plant to handle wastewater as sewage lines are not available in that area.

Project Steve Dobbs said the package plant will have the nitrogen reducing technology

“I don’t want us to take our eye off the ball, if we take 100 homes off septic tank, we don’t want to put another 100 on,” said Commissioner Brad Goodbread. He said while a package plant is not the same as 100 septic tanks, but will still continue to nutrient load going into Lake O.

 “As a county we have a policy in place that when sewer is available, hookup will occur,” said Commissioner Kelly Owens. “I am sure it will be quite some time before it is available. When sewer is available, there will be a mandate to connect.”

“Our objective is to not put things on the Rim Canal whether it is a package plant or not,” said Commissioner Terry Burroughs. “We’re putting all this money into septic-to-sewer. When you guys come in and want to put in another package plant, it just makes me angry. I’m not happy with package plants. I’m not happy with septic tanks. I’m not happy with the fact that we don’t have sewer there already. There may be an issue that we say we’re not going to approve any more package plants on the Rim Canal.”

Commission Chair David Hazellief said the decision on the Sept. 12 agenda was zoning only. He said the developer still must go through the Planning Department process.

He suggested they require developers to contribute to a fund to eventually put in sewer lines there.

“I’m pro septic-to-sewer but will probably stop short of a moratorium,” said Goodbread. “I am not a fan of anything that is going to possibly increase damage to the lake.”

“Bill Royce it’s going to be on you in terms of making sure we are planning for the future,” said Burroughs

County Attorney Wade Vose said Okeechobee Utility Authority needs to use leverage in cases like this. He said OUA has the franchise to provide sewer service in Okeechobee County and they will have to approve the package plant.