Last month I stopped by one of Santa Monica’s new bathrooms facilities and was astonished at how luxuriously beautiful they were. Anything is typically viewed in stark contrast to the graffiti-laden, disgusting mess that most of our bathrooms are at Venice Beach. (Caused by good old human beings!) According to KTLA Channel 5, a few people are angry at the bathrooms costing so much money. After understanding what they go through… I can’t say the investment was a bad one.
From KTLA Channel 5:
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KTLA) — Some new public restrooms at Santa Monica’s beaches are causing a stir because of their huge price tag.
The seven bathroom facilities built at strategic points along the beach cost taxpayers almost $5 million, records from the Department of Public Works show.
Each of the seven units has 14 stalls, putting the cost per stall at a staggering $50,700.An eighth bathroom at 2400 Ocean Front Walk has not yet been completed, after neighbors complained about the design proposal.
“That’s ludicrous,” surfer Coby Gordon told KTLA. “That’s over the top. Those bathrooms are nice, I guess, but that money could have been spent way better.”
“I think they could have come up with a little bit better of a way to spend the money,” surfer Jeff Hewitt echoed.
“I mean, they have murals on the side of the bathroom. Ya, it’s pleasing to look at, but at the same time I think there;s other avenues where they could have spent that money a lot better.”
The city agreed to replace eight bathrooms because of a class action lawsuit against the California Department of Parks and Recreation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Santa Monica signed onto a consent degree from the state protecting it from future litigation until 2016.
City Hall found that eight bathrooms — each about 30 years old — needed major upgrades to qualify as accessible under the ADA.
The original plan was to rebuild seven bathrooms entirely, and perform upgrades on an eighth facility.
The project was expected to be completed by 2010 at a cost of about $4.4 million.
Some of the bathrooms opened in 2011. The last one is expected to open by 2013.
The city blames the delays on problems with weather and moisture, which it says affect building materials.
There were also problems with sewer backups after the first restroom opened, possibly from increased use at the improved facility, the city said.
The sewer problems required replacing the sewer laterals and water mains.
City officials say that, though expensive, the project was necessary to make sure that everyone — including disabled visitors — has access to clean restrooms.
I wonder if they are going to provide a bathroom attendent. Santa Monica has always been head sholders above the rest.
now if only they had soap.