Abby Nadeau
Staff Writer

Despite signatures and voices of support, the Forest Lake water tower is set on its course to be demolished.

During Monday nightís council meeting Carrie Houle, a Hugo resident, and Brent Peterson, executive director of the Washington County Historical Society, spoke to the council about the future of the ìTin Manî water tower.

ìThere are no other towers in Washington County so preserved,î Peterson said.

He told the council he would not, ìchain himself to the water tower,î but that if it were to be torn down, he would make a recommendation.

ìHire a professional photographer, take pictures in black and white, and from all different angles,î Peterson said. ìThen deposit [the pictures] them at the Forest Lake Library, the Forest Lake Chamber of Commerce, the Washington County Historical Society and the Minnesota Historical Society.î

He then asked the council to hire a professional historian to write a history of the water tower and make copies to go along with the four different places the pictures were being sent to.

Following Peterson, Houle presented different opportunities the council had to apply for grants including the Heritage Preservation Organization.

However, Mayor Terry Smith, who said he looked into such opportunities, stated that heritage preservation requires many ìcodesî and Forest Lake may not be able to fulfill those requirements.

Council member Rick Ashbach expressed his wish to revisit the water tower and broaden the issue.

ìAll of us seem to attach ourselves to things. If you lose something, you need to gain something,î Ashbach said. ìI think our city needs to put a plan and program in place to guide themselves on certain buildings and landscapes. Iíd be in favor or revisiting the water tower and to put a plan in for preservation of local history and lore.î

He went on to say that if the city is not willing to preserve the tower then the city should spend the money ìto help fund another attachment.î

The council then considered delaying the contract, but City Attorney Dave Hebert stepped in.

ìYouíve gone through this whole subject and entered into a contract,î Hebert said. ìYou may want to talk to the contractor, see if he is willing to do that because it is a binding contract.î

Smith then thanked Houle for her ìeffortsî and said that prior to the decision to take the water tower down, ìno one did anything.î

In 1999 Forest Lake residents saved the tower from demolition and the council set up a team to start preserving the water tower.

Smith, who was a city council member at the time, said that no one has done anything in those five years.

ìNo one cared and no one stepped forward to restore it,î Smith said. ìThe decision was made [to demolish the tower] and now people come forward.î

The council then moved on with the meeting, with no actions taken.

In a council meeting on July 24, the city decided to accept a $11,500 quote from Iseler Inc. for the demolition of the tower.

Iseler Inc. has from October 1 through April of 2007 to tear the tower down.

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Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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