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Evanston officials review security fencing upgrades at city water plant
Summary
City water production staff presented a plan to replace aging chain-link fences at three utility sites with decorative palisade-style security fencing, add limited privacy slats and access controls, and complete construction by mid-2027; commissioners asked about heights, sightlines and variance requests for one standpipe.
Darryl King, chief of Evanston's Water Production Bureau, told the Preservation Commission the city plans to upgrade perimeter security at three utility locations — the main water plant and two standpipes — replacing aging chain-link fences with decorative palisade-style fencing and improved gates.
"We have a project at the water utility to upgrade the security fence and gate at 3 locations," King said during the Dec. meeting as he walked commissioners through conceptual designs, photos and the project's rationale. He said the work responds in part to the 2018 America's Water Infrastructure Act, which calls for risk assessments and physical security measures for utilities serving more than 3,300 people.
The presentation said the system can produce 108 million gallons per day (47 million gallons average), serves nearly a million people across 10 communities and includes two booster pumping stations and two storage tanks. King described the north standpipe (2530 Grosse Pointe Road) as a roughly 7.5‑million-gallon structure; the south standpipe as about 5 million gallons; both currently have 7‑foot galvanized chain link with barbed wire that the city proposes to replace with the palisade-style fencing.
Commissioners asked whether the new fences would be taller than existing ones. King responded: "The chain link is 7 feet. We're gonna raise it up to 8 feet at the water plant and at the north standpipe. And then at the south standpipe... we're hoping we can get that to 10 or 12 feet, and it'll have the privacy slats to block dust and light." He added the gates themselves would not have privacy slats so emergency responders retain visual access and that surveillance cameras remain in place.
King said the project team retained a consultant in 2024 and the design is at about 30% completion; the total design-and-construction timeline is estimated at 21 months with a contract end date of July 9, 2027. He said some fencing along Lincoln Street toward Sheridan Road would be new; other sections are replacements of existing barriers.
Commissioners praised the project as enhancing both security and appearance but asked staff to consider variance timing, sightlines and neighborhood impacts where privacy slats are proposed. No formal commission action was required or taken on the presentation.
The city will return design documents to permitting and work with community stakeholders as the design progresses.
