SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Board of Public Utilities voted Thursday afternoon to buy property northeast of Highland Springs Country Club for a new 137-foot water tower. The vote was 6-4 with one abstention for the site, which was one of three under consideration by City Utilities of Springfield.
The property that the board voted to buy is owned by Howard Bailey. It's on the north side of the intersection of Farm Road 189 at U.S. 60.
The board bowed to objections from residents who live on both sides of U.S. 65 near Evans Road, south of U.S. 60. The other two sites would have been closer to homes and a new hospital at Evans Road that will benefit from the tower, but residents objected that the tower would lower their property values and ruin their views out their windows.
The new tower is needed because growth in southeast Springfield and the surrounding area served by CU puts a strain on water pressure. The site that was chosen was not CU's first choice but neighbors' objections caused the utility's staff to restudy the issue.
