Five things to know about planned 130-foot water tower near Brookside Greens in Norton

Alan Ashworth, Akron Beacon Journal
·2 min read
Housing lots are seen in the Brookside Greens housing development in Norton on Monday. A wooded area adjacent to the development is being cleared for for a 130-foot water tower to come later this year.
Housing lots are seen in the Brookside Greens housing development in Norton on Monday. A wooded area adjacent to the development is being cleared for for a 130-foot water tower to come later this year.

The city of Norton is clearing land to prepare the way for a new water tower that will serve residents in the new Brookside Greens housing development and nearby Norton City School District buildings.

Norton administrator Philip Turske said in an email that the project will be put out to bid this summer. When that process is complete, council will be asked to approve it.

Plans call for the tower to be built on Redoak Drive, a new road southeast of state Routes 224 and 21 and north of Golf Course Drive.

More:Brookside Greens in Norton: The tortured path from golf course to housing project

Norton Councilman Doug DeHarpart said the project is important for homes and businesses in the area, located on the west side of the city.

“You have that side of Norton where it meets the Wadsworth area (that) is really starting to gain attraction for growth,” he said in a March 9 phone interview. “It’s an important thing to have for Norton to continue to evolve.”

Here are five things to know about the water tower:

How high?

Plans for the project detail a tower 126 feet tall at its high-water level, with additional height from a roof and access tube.

Who will benefit?

The 700,000-gallon tank will make water service available for about 700 housing units, including properties along Clubside Drive, Easton Road, and Wadsworth Road, according to Turke. Norton High School and Norton Middle school will also benefit from an added water source.

More:Residents fight development planned for Barberton Brookside Golf Course in Norton

What's the cost?

The final cost of the project hasn’t yet been determined. The project hasn’t been put out to bid, but will be after site preparation is complete.

“Before they could move forward with bids, the trees have to be cleared,” said DeHarpart.

A tree removal machine clears a wooded area adjacent to Brookside Greens housing development in Norton on Monday. The area is being cleared for for a 130-foot water tower later this year.
A tree removal machine clears a wooded area adjacent to Brookside Greens housing development in Norton on Monday. The area is being cleared for for a 130-foot water tower later this year.

Which community will own it?

Norton will own the water tower — not Barberton, as some rumors have claimed — Turske said in the email.

What does bat migration have to do with this?

Council recently approved legislation to hire a company to clear trees for construction. The council moved quickly because of the Indiana bat.

The endangered bat migrates in the spring, and areas where it may gather are protected — although no Ohio sites are listed as habitat by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The trees that need to be cleared for the tower construction have to be removed before the end of the month.

More:6 reasons why you should subscribe to the Akron Beacon Journal

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Norton clears path for new 130-foot water tower on city's west side