A new recreational vehicle park is one step closer to becoming a reality in Okeechobee County now that the board of county commissioners approved a zoning change allowing some 22 acres of agricultural land to convert to a commercial RV park.

The proposal calls for enough spaces to house up to 195 RVs.

Records filed with the county call the park Faithful Trails RV Estates. It plans to have many amenities including pickleball courts, an exercise facility, a dog park, pool and a club house with showers.

The site is on U.S. 441 about a quarter mile from County Road 15A in unincorporated Okeechobee County.

Saving oak trees and preserving the old, rural Florida aesthetics is a priority for developing the park, Barry Schwartzberg told commissioners.

As it stands now the plan calls for saving the oak trees and preserving the old, rural Florida aesthetics, said Barry Schwartzberg. Schwartzberg is a real estate developer and lawyer speaking on behalf of the petitioner, DB Fortune.

“Our goal is to have you drive by and think what a beautiful new business — how wonderful. It blends into the area, and we're planning to try and keep as many of the current oak trees and natural trees that we have on site in front right now because we really want to preserve the look and have it blend in with the rest of the area," he said.

Areas surrounding the proposal currently have similar RV commercial and commercial land designations.

Schwartzberg told the commission the park could help generate income in Okeechobee County.

"We are big fans of the community, and our goal is to add value to it by bringing this wonderful new business that we think will generate revenue for the rest of the community," he said.

The zoning change by the board was unanimous with no objections during the public hearing.

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