The Lower Kissimmee Basin Stormwater Treatment Area will be discussed by the Okeechobee County Commissioners on Thursday.
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OKEECHOBEE – The Lower Kissimmee Basin Stormwater Treatment Area will once again be a topic of discussion by the Okeechobee County Commissioners at the Thursday, Sept. 28 meeting.
The project is a stormwater treatment area (STA) planned on the east side of the Kissimmee River just south of State Road 70 adjacent to the Lazy 7 subdivision.
Commissioners have expressed safety concerns about bird strikes due to the close proximity to two airstrips as well as the flight path of the Okeechobee County Airport. STAs provide habitat that may attract wading birds.
Commissioners have also questioned the potential for the project to impact the flood zones and the cost of insuring homes in the area.
Neighboring residents have also expressed concerns that the STA will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The board sent a letter of opposition to SFWMD on Aug. 3. At the Sept. 28 meeting, commissioners will consider sending a second letter to SFWMD in opposition of the project.
