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Troutdale committee backs closing basketball court atop aging Reservoir 1 over safety concerns
Summary
City staff told the Parks Advisory Committee that a structural evaluation found Reservoir 1 overstressed; the committee voted to support removing hoops and restricting public access while long-term replacement is planned.
City of Troutdale staff told the Parks Advisory Committee on March 19 that Reservoir 1 — a below‑grade, 1,000,000‑gallon drinking water reservoir built in 1981 beneath the basketball court at Helen Althouse Park — is structurally deficient and should be restricted to protect public safety. The committee voted to support Public Works’ plan to remove the basketball hoops, fence the site and post no‑trespassing signs while staff pursues a longer‑term solution.
The recommendation follows a seismic‑resilience evaluation performed this year by Peterson Structural Engineers (PSE) with support from CONSOR Engineers. “PSE found that Reservoir 1 is structurally deficient by modern standards,” Parks Superintendent Jonah Jacobson said during the meeting. “PSE found that the roof slab is overstressed even under dead load conditions,” he added, noting the roof shows ponding that indicates overstress.
Why it matters: the reservoir functions as part of Troutdale’s drinking‑water system, and PSE concluded that walls are overstressed by surrounding earth and groundwater (hydrostatic) pressures. Staff told the committee that, while engineers did not identify an imminent catastrophic failure under current conditions, continuing public access increases risk to both people and the asset and could accelerate structural decline.
Public Works’ near‑term proposal is to remove the basketball hoops and fence off the top of the reservoir. Longer term, staff said the city expects the reservoir to be demolished and its capacity replaced by enlarging the planned Reservoir 5 in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Jacobson told the committee that reconstruction would be “many millions of dollars” and would require future budget and design work.
Committee members expressed unanimous support for immediate safety steps. “I don’t think we have any choice but to,” committee member Shelley Reynolds said during discussion. Jim Hill seconded that view and the committee approved a formal motion supporting Public Works’ recommendation.
The committee discussed communications to nearby residents and alternatives for displaced play — officials said they would post explanatory signage and identify other nearby courts for neighborhood use while noting the city is not currently budgeted to construct a replacement court.
The closure will be implemented by Public Works Water as a safety measure while staff develops a longer‑term plan that will go through the city’s CIP and budget process.
