To save or not to save
Twin water towers get split review
By STU MERRY
Garrison city officials are taking with a grain of salt a report that suggests the city’s twin water towers could be of historical value and should be preserved.
Whether the towers should be kept apparently doesn’t matter to local residents as no one attended a public hearing for a USDA Rural Development funding application that would, in part, call for demolition of the aging "Hot" and "Cold" structures. The USDA application also includes erection of a new above ground storage tank and improvements to the city’s water distribution system.
The USDA hearing was a formality and covered the proposed scope of work, why the work is being proposed, its approximate cost and environmental issues. An environmental review was part of the Rural Development application. As part of the process, the state Historical Society asked for a study on the historical significance of the water towers. Juniper, LLC, a Bismarck archeology and environmental consulting firm, was contracted by the city, through Moore Engineering, Minot, to conduct the study.
