Homeowners near Waller Park turned out Monday to see the latest concepts for their newest neighbor — a 10-million-gallon tank for Roswell’s new water treatment plant.
About 50 residents reminded City Council members that their decision on where to place the tank will affect more than their property values. It will affect the aesthetics of one of the city’s oldest parks.
The issue became volatile last summer when residents learned initial plans called for locating the tank in the middle of a baseball field, in plain site of park-goers and surrounding neighborhoods.
The city has since hired a new engineering firm to reassess the project.
“What this analysis, nor any before it, have failed to represent is the cost to the park and to the surrounding community for locating the tank directly in the center of the recreation area,” resident Seth Freedman said. “The city possesses a major investment in this park and the investment hasn’t been quantified.”
David Haas, director of water treatment for Jacobs Engineering, presented city leaders with three new options Monday night, each requiring some additional expense to the original $15.5 million cost for the new water plant. The tank will rely on gravity to channel water, meaning it must be a minimum of 20 feet above the grade of the nearby treatment plant on the southwest corner of the park.
The first option, and the one appealing to most residents and city leaders at the meeting, calls for placing the tank farther away from the public area and within the parks maintenance complex just north of the water treatment plant. This option is estimated to add an additional $900,000 to the overall cost of the project.
The other two options, both close to $500,000 cheaper, call for locating the tower farther east near one of the park’s practice soccer fields and in view of some neighborhoods.
The city is taking comments on the proposals at its online website (www.roswellgov.com), where residents can view the latest proposals. The issue will be discussed further at a committee meeting Feb. 12 and is scheduled for a vote of the City Council on Feb. 25.
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