A Monday night city council meeting in the Treasure Valley sealed the fate of a local landmark thousands drive past every day.
The results of an online survey among Nampa residents were loud and clear. Out of hundreds of respondents, 58 percent said the water tower along Interstate 84 should be demolished. About a quarter of them said the landmark should be abandoned in place.
Adhering to the will of the people, and the recommendation of city staff, the council quickly voted to bring down the nearly 50-year-old tank.
In place of the 500,000 gallon elevated tank, Nampa will build a ground-level, 1.5 million gallon water storage unit at the site.
While the decision to tear down the big white tank was unanimous, several officials said they’d be sad to see the local landmark go, including Councilman Randy Haverfield.
“When we look at a city like ours that doesn’t have a lot of vertical elements in it – that you can gauge where you’re at at any one point in time – that water tower is an icon that you know where you’re at by virtue of it,” Haverfield said. “It will be missed.”
Construction on the new project adjacent to the freeway isn’t expected to begin for several years.
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