Manassas water tower won’t be demolished yet

Water tower supporters want tank on historic registry

A water tower no longer in use will sit dormant for another at least six months.

City officials voted to defer taking any action on a plan to preserve or demolish a now defunct, 75,000 gallon water tower in Old Town Manassas, next to a city fire station on Quarry Street.

The cost to maintain the 100-year-old steel tank cold cost the city upward of $200,000, according to city documents. Some of the costs include painting the tower every 10 to 15 years and inspecting it every five years. It would cost $40,000 to demolish it, according to the same documents.

City residents say the tower is one of four remaining recognizable landmarks in the historic district and that it should be saved.

The city’s Architectural Review Board agrees and urged city leaders to leave the tower as it stands.

“The water tank is 100-year-old historic contributing structure that should not be destroyed lightly,” said Councilman Jonathan Way. “But, as much we like the tower, we shouldn’t expect taxpayers to pay for the upkeep at upward of $200,000….”

The same residents who urged the city not to demolish the structure are slated to band together to raise $7,000 for a required study that, when completed, could pave the way to the tower being added to a registry of historic places. That would open doors to federal and state grant funding that would be used for upkeep on the tower, said Way.

Historic Manassas Inc. will also help to raise funds for the survey, added Way. About $2,300 has been collected so far.

This is the second time city leaders opted to defer a decision on what to do with the tank. The issue was tabled earlier in April after council members requested more time to review the matter.

The issue could come before the City Council again on June 15 or June 22, 2015.