The administrative office would serve employees who have been operating out of an outdated operations building and a temporary trailer, according to a presentation by Mark Simon, the assistant deputy director of engineering at the NTMWD.
The building would be roughly 6,000 square feet and would include office space, a control room for the plant, a break room, a restroom, shower and locker facilities, and a conference and training room, according to the presentation. Additionally, there is expected to be a small lab where some samples will be tested and prepared for transport; a severe-weather space; and updated heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
The NTMWD will plant trees around the new building and construct a new sidewalk on the property along Los Rios Boulevard from 14th Street to the north end of the property, Simon said.
This construction would not increase the amount of wastewater being treated at the plant or the footprint of the treatment process, Simon said. The water district also will not store dried cakes at the paved service yard, also known as a contractor staging area.
An issue raised by residents during public comment was the visual impact of building along Los Rios Boulevard.
Commissioners recommended the water district adjust its plans by moving the office building roughly 17 feet farther east, as well as moving parking to the opposite side of the building. This would move the fencing closer to Los Rios Boulevard but would lessen the impact of the building on the street view, commissioners said, and fencing could also be masked by the addition of evergreens along the street.
The water district took these recommendations and plans to return to the planning and zoning commission Dec. 21.
The district is also seeking to consolidate the two parcels of land that the NTMWD purchased from the city of Plano through an interlocal agreement in 2019. These parcels are made up of the roughly 10-acre property that the plant is on, the new operations building as well as the future service yard and the 16-acre property south of the proposed operations building, which will remain a large treed area to screen the plant site. This item will also be heard again at the Dec. 21 meeting.
The first delay of vote on these items was requested by the water district to schedule a public forum. This forum took place Nov. 9 and can be viewed, along with other details, on the project’s dedicated webpage on the NTMWD website.
If approved, the water district expects to begin construction in March or April and for the project to take eight to 12 months, the district shared via email.
