By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
During the City of Parsons recent meeting on January 7th, there was a discussion on the status of an upcoming project to construct a handicapped bathroom at Mill Race Park at Pavilion One. Dave from the City Works Crews was a part of the discussion and input his expert opinion on the project. “So its not just build a shell and lets poop,” Dave said. “There’s a whole process and there’s a lot of work.”
Dave said that the project was going to need a lot more than just the construction of a building. According to Dave the project is going to require new water and sewer lines, electric lines and the removal of an old septic system from the property. “You got to do away with that septic tank,” Dave said. “You have to force main that stuff all the way across the parking lot. New water lines, new electric lines all the way up to Billings Avenue and tie the other bathroom into that.”
City Administrator Michael Simmons said the City has talked about putting the project out for bid, but has not done so yet. Simmons also said he has been in contact with Dave about the logistics of the projects so that he is well educated when discussing the project with potential bidders. “We’ve been talking about putting it out on bid,” Simmons said. “I’ve been talking with Dave a lot about where the utilities come from Billings at so that when I’m talking to people, having giving us some pricing, I know what I’m talking about, where the main comes in and where the electric comes off.”
According to Dave, the septic system at the Park was supposed to have been removed four years ago. “We were supposed to have that tank out of there four years ago,” Dave said. “There’s quite a bit of stuff to get this to work. You can’t just tie into that septic. You have to do away with it.”
Dave said that there is a long way for the water and sewer lines to run to the site of the project. “That’s a long ways across there,” Dave said.
City Council Member Tim Turner said that the electrical is already at the site of the pavilion. “The electric comes across the pavilion,” Turner said.
Due to an undersized waterline, Dave said the site would need all new water lines installed to complete the project. The current half inch water lines would not support the new bathroom’s needs, he said. “Need a complete new water line through there,” Dave said. “There’s only a half inch line all the way through there.”
Council Member Sam Humphrey asked about running the lines to Pennsylvania Avenue instead of Billings Avenue as an alternative. “How about over on Pennsylvania Avenue?” Humphrey said. “Would it be more feasible to run that sewer line and water line that way or come over and up the hill at Billings?”
Dave said it doesn’t matter where the lines run because once they are force fed, they can be placed anywhere. “It really doesn’t matter because once you get force feed you can put it anywhere you want to,” Dave said. “You can push it wherever you want to push it. It might be something to look into. Definitely.”
Humphrey said he thought it might be closer from Pennsylvania Avenue. “It might be a lot closer,” Humphrey said.
Dave said that the City could drill into a manhole in an alley, but that would still be a long way to run the lines. “But you’re still way down here,” Dave said.
The easiest path, Dave said, would be across the park trail and yard. “Might be easier to just go across the trail, right across the path and right through the yard,” Dave said.
Council Member Kathy DiBacco suggested tying in near the car wash across the street. “There’s not something there at the car wash that you could tie into?” DiBacco said.
DiBacco mentioned the new construction currently under way in the area across the street from the park. In her comments, DiBacco mentioned that the new building would have to tie in somewhere over there. Dave said that the building was located closer to the manhole on that side than the project being discussed is for the City. “He’s a lot closer to that manhole then we are,” Dave said.