Officials say Portland Loo problems overshadowing other progress
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO — San Diego is making slow
but steady progress on adding downtown public restrooms, the City Council said
Tuesday in its formal response to a county grand jury report in May that
criticized how the city has handled the issue.
Two Portland Loo restrooms the city installed
downtown last winter have had problems with crime and cost overruns, prompting
city officials to decide recently to remove one of the Loos as soon as nearby
St. Vincent de Paul Village can open nine portable toilets to help meet demand.
Council members said those problems have
overshadowed recent progress, including new public restrooms that have opened
in the North Embarcadero Promenade, Ruocco Park on the harbor, the county’s
Waterfront Park and Faultline Park at 14th Street and Island Avenue.
They also said additional public restrooms
are expected to open soon in Horton Plaza Park, which is scheduled to be
complete by the end of the year, and at 13th and G streets and Seventh and
Market streets.
Council members said there are many hurdles
to a grand jury recommendation that the city move more quickly and set aside
money to create and implement an ambitious plan for adding downtown restrooms.
Those hurdles include concerns about crime in
and around public restrooms, the difficulty of finding locations near sewer and
water lines, and the state’s elimination of redevelopment revenue — a prime
funding source for such infrastructure upgrades.
The grand jury also complained that many of
downtown’s public restrooms aren’t open 24 hours. Council members agreed that
round-the-clock restrooms should be a goal, but stressed that tourists and
those who live and work downtown still benefit from limited hours.
“We’re talking about restrooms for everybody,
not just the homeless,” Councilwoman Marti Emerald said.
The council also agreed to study adding
directional signs to help people locate downtown’s public restrooms.
September 22, 2015
San
Diego Union-Tribune
By David
Garrick
No comments:
Post a Comment