Massive Hayden water tower approved

HAYDEN — A plan for a 161-foot water tower along U.S. 95 in Hayden was given the go-ahead Monday night by Hayden’s planning and zoning commission, which allowed a special use permit with a couple of caveats.

The planning board allowed the permit to be extended from two to four years, and made the city responsible for any signage on the tower — besides a basic message — that could be costly to repaint.

According to an agreement with the Hayden Lake Irrigation District, the cost of painting anything more than “Welcome to the City of Hayden” on the 2 million gallon tank would be paid by the city.

“It would get too expensive to maintain,” said Melissa Cleveland, Hayden Community and Economic Development Director.

The commission extended the permit, anticipating the project would take more than two years to complete.

“They will probably need to go out to bid,” Cleveland said. “It will be a process.”

Hayden Lake Irrigation District administrator Branden Rose applied for the special use permit after trying to find a site for a new tank that will serve the district’s 7,200 patrons and will replace its current 75,000-gallon tank. The present tank at the Avondale Golf Course — which decades ago relied on Hayden Lake water for refills before the system switched to well water - needs to be drained and repaired on the inside.

The repairs would take a minimum month and half, Rose said. In the meantime, “I don’t have anywhere for (water) storage.”

Rose, who has administered the 120-year-old district for the past several years, tried to build the tank at nine different locations, but because a 161-foot tower on any of those sites would adversely affect air traffic at the Coeur d’Alene Airport, he chose the site on Lacey. It was the only location not shot down by the Federal Aviation Administration. In addition, the district owns the land.

The location is not optimal for small plane traffic, airport director Steven Kjergaard said. At times of poor visibility it would prevent planes from landing.

But Rose said he doesn’t have a choice.

“It’s the only place we can build,” he said.

Planning and zoning commissioners agreed. City Council approval isn’t needed for the project to go forward, Cleveland said. However, the public does have the right to appeal the decision to the City Council.

Rose, who said his district has most of the money to pay for the $7 million tank, will likely have to pass a bond for about a third of the cost.

If it’s necessary, Rose said, he anticipates getting a low interest loan that could be paid off in 20 years, keeping costs low for ratepayers.

“It will cost as much as a cup of coffee a month,” he said. “Not a latte.”

He added: “I hope customers realize we don’t have a choice here.”

Without hiccups, he said, the tower could be operating by 2021.