What Do You Think of Portable Restrooms in Shores Parking Lot?

Mayor Casey Tanaka and Councilwoman Barbara Denny finally agree on something. Neither wants to install portable toilets in the Shores Parking lot.  At Tuesday’s city council meeting, both opposed installing temporary restrooms in the Shores parking lot to accommodate summer beach goes.

Both were on the losing side of a 3-5 decision to spend $104,000 for three temporary restrooms on the west side of Avenida del Sol, and an additional $14,000 a month in maintenance fees.

Denny opposed them for essentially the same reasons she consistently opposed building any restrooms near the Shores. She pointed out that an earthquake fault line runs through Avenida del Sol. It is also in the coastal flood zone.

 “It worst project that we could ever think to put there,” she said.

Tanaka doesn’t oppose building a south beach restroom. In fact he lead the fight to build permanent restrooms on south beach two years ago and been a consistent advocate for the project.

He just didn’t like the location or the costs.

Spending “$14,000 a month would be the equivalent to a department head’s salary for the maintenance of a portable restroom,” he said in an e-mail following the meeting. “I also think the location suggested for the portable will not be well recognized by beach goers… and will not likely be as well utilized as if it could’ve been located where the permanent restrooms are planned to go.”

The staff report justified the costs of purchase, saying the restrooms could be used public events in other parts of the city, such as the annual Christmas Parade.

Permanent restrooms were approved in 2012, but they require approval from the California Coastal Commission. The process can approximately 10 months to complete, according to the staff report and may well take longer.

The facility will also require Design and Review and Planning Commission approval. Decisions by both can be appealed to the city council and to the State Coastal Commission.