Oak Park water tank study to reveal site location

The Triunfo Sanitation District board of directors will release a long-awaited study on the Oak Park water tank replacement project by midApril, district officials said at the March 26 board of directors meeting.

Mark Lawler, Triunfo's general manager, said the study discusses two sites for the tank and the pros and cons of placing the tank under or above ground. It also provides a biological assessment, geological surveys and estimated costs.

A new water tank is needed because the 40-year-old Conifer tank has been deemed unsafe due to deterioration and its location on a landslide area. A geological survey of the Conifer site in the late 1990s showed the tank could slide down the hill if the area were hit by a sizable earthquake.

"In today's world it wouldn't (have been) allowed to be built there," Lawler said.

The location of the new tank has been a source of controversy in the community. One proposed site, identified as A8, is located near a trailhead entrance to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The site is accessed via a trailhead Doubletree Road and Clearhaven Street.

"It's an important access to the national recreation area," said Janna Orkney, chair of the Triunfo board.

Orkney said a large water tank would mar the landscape and detract from the primary purpose of hiking- to enjoy nature.

Mary Wiesbrock, head of Save Open Space, told board members the A8 site near the trailhead would trigger considerable opposition from the community. She also called for the tank to be completely bermed, or screened, if the cost of placing the tank underground was too high.

An underground tank would require cement construction, while an above-ground tank would be constructed out of steel, said director Ron Stark.

Because of the cost, Stark wasn't keen on berming the site. He said the Oak Park General Plan only required planting around the tank.

The proposed tank will be twice the size of the current Conifer tank- 2.1 million gallons.

A second possible site is identified as A7.

Located about 1,500 feet south of the archery range in Oak Canyon Community Park, or 1,500 feet north of Oak Hills Elementary School, the A7 site would place the tank behind a ridgeline and away from the view of homeowners.

Although there is a hiking and fire trail around the A7 site, Lawler doesn't believe it's as significant as the trailhead leading into the Santa Monica Mountains range.

Telling the story

Orkney, Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks and some residents want to see full-sized "story poles" erected on the site before they determine whether it's a suitable locale. Orkney said out of the 12 sites initially considered for the tank at the end of 2005, the A7 location was the only area that didn't have any identifying signs placed for residents to inspect.

"That's the mystery of A7," Orkney said. "Hopefully, it's far enough away from homes so it won't be a view factor for them." Full-sized poles outlining the height and width of the project would allow residents to visualize the full impact of the tank, Orkney said.

Lawler said he doubted 30-foot story poles were available, and that even if they could be obtained they would pose a safety hazard in the community.

"Tanks are 30 feet high," Lawler said. "The only thing I know that is 30 feet high is a telephone pole."

Lawler said the request for fullsized story poles was "not typical" and would present a challenge to the district. "We don't have a good solution to that now," he said, adding that safety was a significant concern since tall poles could easily fall down in moderate winds.

Initially, two storyboards were planned for each location, one to direct visitors to the site, the other placed at the site. The storyboards would feature a photograph of a person standing next to a 30-foot tank.

The water board allocated $10,000 for the storyboards and poles.

The water tank study is the first of two parts of a larger environmental review, Lawler said. Once the initial report is vetted to the public, work on the environmental impact report will begin. The cost for both reports is estimated at $900,000, according to Lawler. So far, Triunfo has spent $470,000 on the reports.

The price tag for tank construction ranges from $4.5 million to $7 million, depending on whether the tank is placed under or above ground, pipeline alignments, environmental issues, protection of sensitive habitats and other factors, Lawler said.

"We don't want to pump water where we don't have to," Lawler said. "At the end of the day, A7 is a really good site from my perspective."

The report will be released at www.triunfosanitationdistrict.com within two weeks, and plans for a special public meeting on the issue are underway. The study will also be discussed at the next MAC meeting, scheduled for April 24. For further information, call the Triunfo Sanitation District at (805) 658-4605.