Funding source unclear for defunct water tower
An aging water tower in Downtown Manassas was saved by the City Council’s unanimous vote after several called to tear it down.
This decision whether or not to save the dormant tower fell onto the council’s desk for consideration in July. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources State Review Board that reviewed the case to determine if water tower is eligible for listing on the national register of historic places.
“That board [The Virginia Department of Historic Resources State Review Board] met in December and they concurred with the preliminary recommendation of the evaluation committee and have determined that the water tower is eligible for individual listing on the national register,” Development Services Planner Allison Whitworth told the City Council.
The national register “provides formal recognition of a property’s historical, architectural, or archeological significance based on national standards used by every state” according to Whitworth’s presentation.
This also makes the tower eligible for grants and federal funding for ongoing maintenance, a key concern of those calling for the defunct tower’s demolition.
In order for the demolition to have occurred or to be reopened, the structure must meet two of four criteria.
1. The structure should not have architectural or historic interest that would signify public discontent or detriment if it would be removed.
2. The structure lacks significance that would deem it (based off of its own value and distinction) as a local, state, or national historical structure.
3. The structure should not have commonplace design that can be easily replicated. Lastly, the structure fails to preserve or protect historic significance and and interest within the city.
One remaining concern involves maintenance of the tower. Despite it being defunct, it would still cost anywhere between $95,000 to $105,000 for maintenance and the source of funding is still unclear despite the towers eligibility for grants. This means that if grants aren’t used for maintenance, tax dollars might be the alternative.
“There is some things that we have to do right now and some things we don’t have to do right now. What we do have to do right now is prepare a letter to the state historic resources board saying that the government of the city of the Manassas supports the concept. It means that we support the concept and submission to the state board in order to get the proper designation so that grant funding can be sought,” said Vice Mayor Jonathan Way.
For now, the City Council has referenced its land use committee that delves into issues as such where the committee will now work together to develop solutions to maintenance and preservation of the tower.
“There are two alternative sources of funding. There’s a general fund and there’s also a significant effort underway to obtain an external fund, grant funding, and donation funding. They have collected eight or 9,000 dollars so far, including a grant from a respected, national charitable organization, so that the work is underway. So, it’s going to take time, working with the government always takes time — usually a whole lot more than you would expect,” said Way.
