July 16 Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission meeting and July 24 Akron Board of Zoning Appeals meeting
Covered by Documenters Wittman Sullivan (see his notes here) and Simone Walton (see her notes here)
As construction continues on upgrades to Reservoir Park in Goodyear Heights, the Akron water reservoir where the park gets its namesake remains untouched after more than 100 years.
Located at 399 Brittain Road, the underground reservoir’s structural and operational integrity has become a concern after a century of use.
Plans to replace the existing reservoir were approved at the city’s July 16 Akron Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission meeting but require further approval before moving forward. The commission recommended that the city find a way to mitigate the loss of an historic water tower and pump house nearby.
The project moved forward to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which approves public utility projects in residential areas, on July 24. The board could not take action as there were not enough members in attendance to reach a quorum. The board’s next meeting is Aug. 28.
Built in 1913 to support neighborhood wells
The reservoir, which is covered by an earth mound that rises 24 feet above grade, was built in 1913 to replace overburdened wells in the neighborhood.
Before the reservoir’s initial construction, Akron received most of its drinking water from Summit Lake.
The reservoir holds 20 million gallons of drinking water in its underground chamber and has been actively in use since it was constructed.
It is now considered a liability because of rainwater and organic material seeping into the drinking water due to the deterioration of its concrete ceiling.
New tank to sit above ground
City staff members presented a plan to rebuild and replace the reservoir with an above-ground concrete storage tank that is 270 feet in diameter. The tank will be located on a 19-foot-high earth mound and have precast concrete walls that project approximately 20 feet above the top of the new mound. A precast concrete dome roof will rise an additional 27 feet above the perimeter walls.
The new 12.4 million gallon tank would be built out of precast concrete and covered in a brick facade to blend with the nearby architecture, including the Seiberling Community Learning Center, directly across from the tank location at 400 Brittain Road.
A similar brick pattern will be used on the rebuilt addition to the historic Reservoir Park Community Center that is being expanded and was once home to the park’s original gatekeeper in the early 20th century.
The reservoir’s nearby green water tower and pump station are decommissioned, and the city has applied for funding to tear down all these structures as well.
A brick, one-story, 715-square-foot operations building would replace the structures. The building would be fenced off and be surrounded by a 10-foot-wide multi-purpose trail looping around the rebuilt water reservoir.
According to a city memo, the design of all buildings and site work located on city property must be reviewed by the Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission.
Water tower, pump house could be added to historic register
The reservoir, pump house and water tower are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Council members Jeff Fusco and Sharon Connor said they support replacing the reservoir but want any new construction to honor its history.
According to Historic Goodyear Heights, the reservoir was initially surrounded by a 10-acre “wasteland” until the 1930s when Reservoir Park was built.
Until then, the neighborhood’s recreational needs were met at Blue Pond Park, which was built in the 19th century but shut down after economic mismanagement, dangerous pollutants in the pond and the construction of indoor recreation facilities in the Goodyear headquarters.
Fusco and Connor requested that the new water tour and pump station be turned into educational centers to teach about Akron’s water history.
Connor said she wants the reservoir replaced but wants to wait to demolish the pump house and water tower until a feasibility study is complete.
Fusco said the city’s 2024 Capital Budget allots $50,000 for this type of study.
Connor said the water tower is a landmark featured in neighborhood imagery and merchandise. Its demolition would add to a long list of lost historic industrial landmarks, including the Goodyear Mixing Plant and B.F. Goodrich smokestacks.
Until the city receives approval for their reservoir replacement plan, improvements to Reservoir Park, which surrounds the earth-covered water reservoir, continue and are projected to be completed in the summer of 2025.