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Landowner questions Phoenix reservoir site By WENDY SIPOREN PHOENIX -- Geological testing begins next week on a piece of land overlooking east Phoenix for the city's new million-gallon water reservoir. But the owner of that property, the Southern Oregon University Foundation, is less than happy about the city's proposed site on a knoll above the Palm Harbor manufactured home sales lot. "It couldn't be in a worse spot," said foundation board member Bob Kendrick, who said he believes the tank will be an eyesore visible for miles around. "Everything else would be looking directly at it or be shadowed by it." According to Mayor Larry Parducci, the city plans to partially bury the 26-foot-high, 85-foot-wide cement tank and screen it with vegetation. "In one to two years, you're not going to see it," said Parducci. The city was given rights to a 2-acre reservoir site by developer Lou Mahar when he put in the nearby Meadowview subdivision in 1992. Mahar granted the remainder of the 27-acre parcel to the university foundation. The reservoir is part of the Talent-Ashland-Phoenix water intertie project. It will increase Phoenix's water supply and increase water pressure to the homes on the east side of Interstate 5. The city's main interest in the reservoir site is to stay within budget on the project, says Parducci. The tank will cost between $800,000 and $850,000 to build. Project engineers estimate it would cost an additional $80,000 to $219,000 to put the tank on a less-visible but steeper site preferred by the foundation. Kendrick acknowledges that the foundation wants to maximize the development potential of the property but says the city shouldn't try to save money by destroying property values. "Their crying about it (the additional cost) is correct," he said. "But for $200,000 you don't destroy the aesthetics of the entire community. That's the cost of doing business." The city's plan to charge property owners for road improvements in the area through a local improvement district is increasing tensions between the two parties. Kendrick has already voiced his opposition to the cost of the project. But despite the foundation's firm stance, Parducci is optimistic the site conflict can be resolved. "There's a lot of options," he said. There's no use in arguing if that site isn't appropriate for building. "We're going to do our (test) holes until they tell us we can't use the site we want." Project coordinator Bob Schneider of the Montgomery Watson engineering firm says the conflict isn't holding up construction of the water intertie yet, but added, "It could be critical in the next few months if this drags on any longer than that." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA