2.2.09

City seeks input on Walnut Hill Park
By: Nancy Gaarder, Omaha World-Herald

The City of Omaha is soliciting ideas for improving the neighborhood park at 38th and Nicholas Streets, next to the Walnut Hill Reservoir.

But the big question could be whether an expansion is in the park's future.

Metropolitan Utilities District, which owns the approximately four square blocks where the now empty reservoir and the city park are located, discontinued use of the reservoir in November, said Tom Wurtz, the utility's president. The park occupies about half the land.

Over the next two to three years, the utility will monitor whether it can adequately supply eastern Omaha with water without resuming use of the reservoir. Should the utility decide it doesn't need the water storage provided by the reservoir, it will decommission it, Wurtz said.

At that point, he said, M.U.D. would be open to turning the land over to the city. If the city isn't interested, it's possible that M.U.D. would declare the land surplus and available for sale. Any eventual use of the land would have to be compatible with continued operation of a pump station there, he said.

Independent of whatever happens with the reservoir, Wurtz has good news for neighborhood children: M.U.D. will continue operating the adjacent fountain, a popular spot on hot summer days.

Steve Scarpello, Omaha parks administrator, said any decision about expanding the park would have to take into account the city's overall park needs and resources. For now, the meeting the city has planned for February 10 will look at modest improvements to the existing park -- the city has less than $50,000 to spend. Depending upon what neighbors want, that money could go toward such things as improving walkways or planting trees.

Wurtz said M.U.D. believes it no longer needs the reservoir because of the extra capacity provided by a new treatment plant and well field west of Omaha. Resuming use of the reservoir, he said, would require spending millions to rehabilitate it.

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