Dougherty Commission considers future of historic Radium Springs water tower

ALBANY — Is a 100-year-old water tower in the Radium Springs community a rusting pile of rubble damaged by storms, or is it maybe something more?

Both answers have a bit of truth to them, so the more relevant question for the Dougherty County Commission is if, and how, to preserve the structure that dates back to the mid-1910s.

An assessment completed after a 2007 tornado demolished some homes and downed trees in the area indicated that there was damage to the support structure of the water tank, which is still standing. The area has had its share of natural disasters, including floods in 2004 and 2008 and the 2017 tornado that claimed five lives in the county.

On Monday, a group of neighborhood residents requested that the county conduct a more detailed investigation of whether it can be salvaged and what the cost would be to shore it up. Speaking for the group, Don Dally, who has lived in the area since 1974, also presented a petition with more than 300 signatures.

“It’s a landmark,” he said. “That landmark should be saved, and it can be saved if the Dougherty County Commission will put the money behind it.”

Several suggestions emerged on Tuesday, with a straw vote showing unanimous consent for having staff identify an engineer for conducting a study to determine the cost of the structural analysis requested.

“Radium Springs is the most Googled place in Albany,” Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said. “(The) residents have been some of the most loyal in Dougherty County. Those are just my thoughts. I think it’s a no-brainer.

“When you look at what the Radium Springs neighborhood has been through, that water tower has been a symbol of hope and resilience.”

With the existing negative evaluation of the structure, Commissioners Gloria Gaines and Anthony Jones expressed some reservations about spending too much on what could be “throwing good money after bad money,” in Jones’ estimation.

If the structure can’t be salvaged or restoration proves to be too expensive, Commissioner Russell Gray suggested moving the tank structure to a location near the trailhead and dedicating it to the history and resiliency of the neighborhood.

“Right now, it’s not structurally sound,” he said. “What if, say, the top third was moved and put by the springs? There’s plenty of room along our walking trail. What about the golf course? We could have a moment talking about the history. I think it will be another cool feature there.

“It looks really cool standing where it is, but it’s also a legal nightmare.”

The water tower is technically owned by a corporation that is now defunct, and was built around 1916, County Attorney Spencer Lee told commissioners. The county has the authority to assess the site because of the threat the dilapidated structure poses.

“In the future, if there’s a safety issue, Code Enforcement will go out there,” Lee said. “If there’s a safety issue, you’ll tear it down, anyway.

“What they’re asking for at this stage in the game (is that) the county do an analysis of structural integrity and see what it would take to make it structurally sound.”

If the report shows the structure can be salvaged and commissioners decide to take on the project, it could take ownership through eminent domain or by the Albany/Dougherty County Land Bank acquiring the property and turning it over to the county, Lee said.

Commissioner Clinton Johnson, a member of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs board, said he would check on the availability of grants to preserve the water tower as a historic structure.

The county has made significant investments to the Radium Springs area in recent years, including a trailhead that includes a center with restrooms and the acquisition of state funding to restore the Spring Run bridge.

In October 2020, a monument to the tornado victims was unveiled along with the restored gazebo at the site of the demolished Radium Springs Casino.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin