Wednesday, May 30, 2007

A first flush for the Old Town restrooms

City Hall press releases don't get much better than this:
"Potty in Old Town!
You are invited to the...
Toilet Paper Ribbon Cutting & First Official Flush of the New Public Restrooms in Old Town!
Saturday, June 2 at 11 AM
Public Restrooms located on Mosley Street
between Douglas & 1st Street"

The Hall Monitor leaves the city's capitalization in to emphasize the excitement exclaimed in the release. After all, it's not everyday that there is an official inaugural toilet flush. The release does not specify what will be flushed.

In all seriousness, the public lavatories will be welcomed by many Old Town partiers. The city's nightlife core is notorious for having more than its share of public urination and the police have noticed. For example, in 2005, a special operation including plainclothes officers led to 26 arrests, mostly for public urination and drinking in the streets. (See the law here.)

The facility is the first of five new public restrooms in the Old Town area that the city says will be well lit, have individual locks and will be accessible to people with disabilities. They will also have a baby changing station. It all costs about $275,000 in tax increment financing funds -- which comes from the extra property tax money generated by development in that area. We're counting on former mayoral candidate James Mendenhall, who campaigned for cleaner restrooms earlier this year, to watchdog the upkeep of these water closets.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I bet these public bathrooms that you can lock yourself in will be a good place for drunken hookups and for homeless people to sleep.

Anonymous said...

i was down there one night and they on had one door unlocked and able to use

Anonymous said...

The public restrooms will be monitored by a security system which will alert authorities if the light remains on too long. Police will then pay a visit and see if someone is hurt and needs help or if it is homeless looking for a place to bunker for the night. Either way, its a welcome and needed amenity in Old Town.

Anonymous said...

the correct term is "restroom" not bathroom unless there is a bath and then it is a bathroom

Anonymous said...

$55,000 for a bathroom? Really? And we need 5 of them? Because of 26 arrests last year? Huh.

Anonymous said...

We need them for more than just as a deterrent to public urination. There are also a number of community events held on the nearby Farm and Art Plaza each year including the weekly farmers market May - Oct. That is why public restrooms are important. That and the fact that the property owners who have paid into the TIF district over the past 10 or so years are now getting to see some much needed improvements to the area without pulling from the City's general funds. It's a win/win people, so quit complaining and enjoy the benefits of living in a city to continues to grow despite the CAVE people that dwell within. BTW, did you know Old Town is the most popular destination for visitors to our city.

Anonymous said...

So police will be dispatched if someone "stays too long" in the new restrooms? I think it would be cheaper and much more fun to install intercoms that the security officers in city hall can use to communitcate with the patrons. I'll bet some of those conversations on Friday and Satruday nights would be hilarious!

Anonymous said...

I really think that this was a very good thing for the city to do. But I also think that their sould be some built closer to the river for events that are held down by the river(river fest, boating events etc.). It is very unnerving and very gross to use those port-a-potties that were down at the river fest this year!!! I don't know about anyone else but sending a little kid into one of those things(port-a-potty) is very scary. Young parents like to have a palce to take their young children to the restroom, with out having to go 6 to 12 blocks from the activity that they are attending.