Save South Capital Park - Idaho Falls
Donation protected
As some of you may have heard, the City of Idaho Falls is planning to build a huge new 185-ft tall, 1M gallon water tower smack dab in the middle of South Capital Park on the Snake River (near The Art Museum) in downtown Idaho Falls. This would eviscerate the heart of the park, require the removal of numerous mature shade trees, and forever blight an area that should be the city's pride and joy. So far, more than 600 of us think this is a terrible plan, and we are collecting donations to try to get the City Council to rethink their decision.
To that end, we plan to create yard signs, banners, newspaper ads, and a webpage to raise awareness of the looming threat to South Capital Park. Funds may also be used for legal fees, if necessary. Upon completion, any unused funds will be used to improve South Capital Park as a public green space.
Please help us Save South Capital Park; if we are unsuccessful, the City plans to break ground for the new water tower next spring (2022). For more information, please visit Water Tower Relocation on Facebook. Thank you!
Some additional background info: South Capital Park should have been eliminated from further consideration at the outset of the site selection process due to the restrictions associated with the use of Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Federal dollars to purchase the park land in 1974. LWCF requires that this land remain as a public park in perpetuity. The City should have broadened their search at that time, but they did not. And when the City began to consider putting the water tower in South Capital Park several years ago, the issue should have been brought before the Parks & Rec Commission for discussion. That is what the Commission is for, but it was not discussed, and to this day, it still has not. But it is never too late to reverse a wrong decision.
Some additional background info: South Capital Park should have been eliminated from further consideration at the outset of the site selection process due to the restrictions associated with the use of Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Federal dollars to purchase the park land in 1974. LWCF requires that this land remain as a public park in perpetuity. The City should have broadened their search at that time, but they did not. And when the City began to consider putting the water tower in South Capital Park several years ago, the issue should have been brought before the Parks & Rec Commission for discussion. That is what the Commission is for, but it was not discussed, and to this day, it still has not. But it is never too late to reverse a wrong decision.
The photo below shows a relaxing afternoon at Bluegrass on the Greenbelt, a free outdoor music festival (June 2010).
The aerial photo below show the proposed location for the new water tower in South Capital Park (red dot). Note the existing (old) water tower within the Idaho Falls Power facility near the top center.
Kids playing at South Capital Park (2021)
Below is a short video showing one of the free summer music festivals held at South Capital Park in the past.
For perspective - imagine this in South Capital Park. This tower is 125 ft. tall with a 98 ft. tank diameter. Ours will be 185 ft. tall, 75 ft. diameter. For scale, note the security fence - likely 6 ft tall.
Organizer
Jeffrey Forbes
Organizer
Idaho Falls, ID