Residents happy with T-Bird sewage deal

A once smelly situation hanging over the Thunderbird Hills sewage treatment plant will soon be resolved and the owners of Thunderbird Hill South who live next to the package plant are happy, as are residents who spoke Wednesday with Highlands Today.

The Highlands County Commission voted Tuesday to have residents who own homes served by the system pay $40 per year for 15 years, while owners of empty lots will pay $20 a year, unless the lot in question is legally attached to their home lot.

The county will give $200,000 to the city of Sebring, which is in the process of connecting the Thunderbird Hills system to the city's system; formerly Highlands Utilities, located at Cougar Boulevard near Thunderbird Road.

Carol and Martin Flux are the owners of Thunderbird Hill South, an adult manufactured home park that was built around the package sewer plant.

"We're just very happy it's finally happening," said Carol Flux. "It eliminates the odors. We've complained a lot. Hopefully it's going to eliminate an eyesore."

It's been a headache for about 15 years she guessed. They bought the park about eight years ago. They have a total of 95 lots with 79 homes, plus the clubhouse.

Flux said the cost for solving the problem was more than reasonable.

"The sooner it happens, the better," she said, as her husband, Martin, buzzed by on his riding mower. Mowing is part of the lot rental. "It's going to be a big sigh of relief for everybody."

Only a fence and a hedge separated the sewer plant from the swimming pool and clubhouse.

"It's been an embarrassment on a stinky day," she said, adding that sometimes what people thought was the package plant was actually people sprinkling their lawns with the well water that has a sulfur smell.

Resident Jane Markley leisurely clung to her float in the pool Wednesday, enjoying the sunshine and temperate water.

"I think it's a good thing," said Markley, after she was asked her opinion about the settlement. "I can't wait for it to happen. It doesn't look like they're going to sock-it-to us too bad."

She and her husband, Dave, bought their home there about four years ago, she said.

Were there were times they couldn't even use the pool?

"Yeah, we couldn't stand it," she said.

She uses the pool about three times a week. Now since the city has taken over the plant, the odor problem has greatly improved.

"Once in a blue moon," she said.

Resident Barbara George moved with her husband from New Hampshire to Thunderbird Hill South in June of 2004.

"It's getting rid of that ungodly smell," said George. "Going to the pool is a lot more pleasant now."

She agreed that at times due to the odor, staying indoors was the best option.

"Either that or going for a ride," she said.

The decision also affects residents of Thunderbird Hills, Vantage Point, Brae Lock Villas, Thunderbird Manor Condominiums, Red Pine Apartments and commercial businesses like on U.S. 27, such as Badcock Furniture.

The system was owned by a developer. It operated without a Department of Environmental Protection permit since 2001. It needed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of repairs, and Highlands County was going to be forced by state law to take over.

County commissioners voted two years ago to close the plant and connect it with the city of Sebring's sewer system.

City of Sebring Utilities Director Marty Roepstorff said Wednesday that he's been involved in the process of obtaining the sewage system since the beginning.

He said the bidding on the project went well.

"Property owners benefitted from the bad economy and the prices (for construction work) that have come down since," said Roepstorff.

The city is in the contract signing stage with Excavation Point, to interconnect the two systems (a distance of 200 to 300 feet) and to make upgrades to five lift stations.

The easements are there.

"Everything is ready to go," he said.

Following that work the plant would be demolished and removed.

"It won't take too long to demo that place," he said.