Reservoir proposal moves forward

The Fountain Valley City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved renovating the corroding reservoir at Cordata Park and removing the basketball court that sits atop it.

But council members want more public input before deciding whether to re-create the basketball court elsewhere in the park or eliminate it entirely.

Some residents said they didn’t want the court to be rebuilt because it would take away green space. Others felt that a new basketball court would be an asset to the community.

A staff report says that installing a 6-foot security fence around the reservoir, which was built in 1971, and removing the basketball court would help preserve the storage space and increase public safety.

Fountain Valley-based engineering firm Richard Brady & Associates said major reconstruction of the reservoir is not necessary, though its booster pumps should be replaced and its control system upgraded. A new pump house would also be constructed to accommodate larger equipment and an emergency generator added in case of power outages.

This work, along with removing the basketball court and prohibiting public access, is estimated to cost $5 million, the least costly of five options presented by the services firm, according to the staff report.

Though two meetings about Cordata Park had been held earlier this year and postcards distributed to nearly 600 residents regarding the project, Mayor Cheryl Brothers said she wants to survey the entire neighborhood.

“Before we spend money to build a basketball court, I’d hate to find out a majority of neighbors don’t want it,” Brothers said.