Oberlin debates future of Morgan Street reservoirs

OBERLIN — Overgrown and facing a crackdown by state officials, two Morgan Street reservoirs could be radically transformed over the next two years. Their fate rests largely in the hands of 40-odd people who turned out Wednesday at Oberlin Public Library to give ideas to engineers. Drain them, some said. Others want a nature center, an observation tower, a theater-in-the-round, and public bathrooms. Leave Mother Nature alone — or aggressively control her, residents argued. "It seems to me the challenge here is to maintain the character of the place while limiting the liability and keeping the cost of maintaining it down," said resident Paul Kobulnicky. He worries that taming the 12.5-acre reservoir property could make it too "sanitized and clean," erasing the charm that draws hikers, fishers and dog walkers. Something has to be done on Morgan Street following a September inspection by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. State inspectors said trees and brush have to be removed, eroded banks must be repaired, footpaths have to be fixed, an overflow device must be installed, and seepage into nearby Plum Creek must be stopped. There are options, though. Oberlin could choose to drain the reservoirs completely or drastically lower the water level so the lakes would be exempted from ODNR oversight. City officials wanted more creative ideas, which is why they turned to residents. "We're here for you. We want to listen to you and get your feedback," said Julie Lawson of Environmental Design Group, a firm hired to help with the process. The reservoirs were created in the 1880s to provide drinking water to the city. At the time, the waterworks was home to the nation's first water softening plant. That changed about 60 years ago when a new water treatment facility was built. Since then, the reservoirs have been used as parks. The rear portion of the waterworks was gutted by fire in 2011. Its walls are "powdering away," making saving the full building nearly impossible, said Gary Fischer, architect for Fischer & Associates. "At that point we start to become Disneyland if we want to reconstruct that," he said. Engineers plan to redesign the park land next year based on regulations, costs and feedback from Oberlin residents, Lawson said.