The city’s board of aldermen approved the annexation of two parcels of property into the city and then approved the conditional use permit for Missouri American Water’s new plant.
The plant will be located along FF Highway west of downtown near the River Hills housing development.
Missouri American Water currently operates a facility at 101 East First Street, which has been a water treatment facility for about 100 years, according to Stephen Lachky, community development director. The current facility is in need of renovation and upgrades to meet peak demand from residents.
There have also been numerous complaints about water quality from residents in different parts of Parkville over the past year. Many of the complaints were concerning particulates in the water and calcium buildups in pipes.
The site for the new drinking water plant was chosen because it is near the water pumping stations along the Missouri River in Platte Landing Park. To supply the new facility, water lines will need to be installed along the river to the west, then north along the property line, and then along FF Highway to the property.
Missouri American Water’s new plant will consist of a new administrative building, another building with water clarifiers and a pumping station inside, an open water equalization basin, two silo structures about 50 feet tall, and a parking lot area.
After a planning and zoning commission meeting in June,the site plan was revised to move the facility closer to FF Highway and further from the neighborhood. This will also cause the facility to be at a lower elevation and it will be less visible from nearby properties.
The proposed facility will still have to go before the planning and zoning commission on Sept. 13 to have the final site plan approved.
Aldermen voted 8-0 to approve the plan for the new facility. Construction is scheduled to be complete by December 2017.
