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Belgrade secures gravel pit for water tank site; staff to pursue $30 million in utility bonds
Summary
District staff told the board the city purchased a gravel pit and an adjoining flat parcel as a potential water-tower site, and that the district plans a preliminary engineering report and a bond issue of about $30 million to fund water infrastructure; staff said a ground-level tank could be built in about a year.
The Belgrade Regional Parks, Trails, and Recreation District reported progress on a utility land purchase intended for a new water tank and related infrastructure, and staff said they will likely seek utility bonds to fund construction.
Director Diana Perry told the board the district purchased “the gravel pit off of frontage” and an adjacent flat lot of about 2.2 acres, part of a larger parcel she estimated at “about 41, 40 2 acres.” Perry said preliminary engineering is underway (a PER) and that the district prefers a ground-level tank to avoid a visible elevated tower.
“Our goal, honestly, is we're hoping that it's a ground level tank that can be put down in the pit itself, so obviously we don't have a 200 plus flying, you know, saucer in the city there,” Perry said. She said the site sits on an existing transmission line, which could reduce distribution costs, and that the parcel offers room for other uses — including potential park items and a future fire station site.
Perry said the district expects to seek roughly $30,000,000 in utility bonds to build the tank and associated infrastructure and to connect pressure zones. She described a planning timeline that depends on the chosen tank design: about one year for a ground-level tank and roughly two years for a vertical (elevated) tank because of construction sequencing such as concrete curing and painting. Perry said staff expect to know within about three weeks which direction the project will take.
Why it matters: The purchase and bond plan will affect future development, stormwater management options and utility rates or debt levels. District members discussed tradeoffs between site visibility, construction timeline and cost savings from existing onsite transmission connections.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the site and timing; one member asked specifically where the water tank would be located and Perry replied that it sits on frontage and that the parcel’s location and existing infrastructure made it a cost-saving option. Perry also noted that using the pit for stormwater management is under consideration, which could reduce neighborhood impacts from dispersed stormwater storage.
The board received the information as a staff update; the transcript records staff direction to proceed with the PER and bonding preparations but no formal vote authorizing the bond issuance appeared on the agenda.
