OKs restroom plan for Riverfront Park
HOULTON, Maine — Public restrooms in downtown will now become a reality after the Houlton Town Council endorsed a plan to place bathroom facilities in Riverfront Park.
By a 4-2 vote, the town council gave its approval for public restrooms to be built in the park, provided the cost of construction was borne solely by the Riverfront Park Committee.
Back in October, town councilors rejected the restroom plan in a split 2-3 vote, citing concerns with taking on the additional expense of maintenance and utilities. At that time, the council was considering slashing the police dispatch service as a way to reduce the budget and could not commit to a project that would add expenses to the town. There were also concerns with how having restrooms could further exacerbate an ongoing vandalism problem in the park.
At Monday night’s meeting, Bob Anderson, chairman of the Riverfront Park Committee, asked the council to reconsider its October decision not to support the project and provided additional financial options for the group to consider.
F.A. Peabody, which is also owned by Anderson, agreed to provide general cleaning services for the restrooms through Nov. 1, 2017 at a cost of $500 per month/$3,000 annually. The restrooms would only be open from May through early November.
Town Manager Butch Asselin said the restroom project was estimated at $75,000. Anderson added the group did not have the full $75,000 to build the facilities, but had commitments totalling $50,000 in cash, with an additional $20,000 committed in the form of in-kind services.
“Our estimate is $75,000 to build, but there are some options we may not put in,” Anderson said. “If you approve the project, you will have no out-of-pocket costs for construction. And our goal was to make sure maintenance costs did not go above $5,000 per year.”
Paper products and cleaning supplies for the facility were estimated at an additional $800 per year along with $700 per year for utilities (water, sewer, electricity), meaning the total estimated cost to maintain could be about $6,500 per year.
Anderson admitted it was difficult to say exactly how much it would cost to maintain the building until it was actually constructed.
The town currently pays $187 per month to have a portable toilet on the premises.
Anderson said in regard to vandalism in the park, the group was considering automatic locks on the doors, as well as video surveillance cameras and additional lighting around the property in the hopes of deterring mischievous acts.
During the summer, at the request of the Houlton Police Department, the free wireless Internet in the park was turned off to see if it reduced the number of vandalism incidents. At that time, police said the number of complaints dropped dramatically.
Anderson said he felt having free wireless Internet in the park and restrooms were drawing point for visitors.
“The way that the committee has looked at vandals in our town is we haven’t let vandals determine our decisions,” Anderson said. “It’s our opinion that vandalism is probably going to occur somewhere in the town. Whether it is down there or in Monument Park or Community Park, whether we have a restroom or not is probably not going to discourage someone from doing damage to public property.”
Any vandalism to the structure would fall under the town’s insurance policy, since it would be a town-owned piece of property.
Committee members first pitched the bathroom idea to the council more than two years ago. The group believes that restrooms are needed in the area for shoppers and visitors to the community.
“I really do believe it can be an asset to the town,” Councilor Jane Torres said.
Councilor John White did not share her enthusiasm.
“Whatever the number is (for maintenance) it’s just an additional cost to taxpayers,” White said. “I know a lot of people are for this, and I can see where it’s an advantage for some. But I feel there are a lot of taxpayers out there that don’t think we should be paying for another rest area.”
Should the maintenance costs run much higher than anticipated, the council would have the right to simply shutter the building at a later time.
In addition to restrooms, the committee also plans to install a small playground set in the park, to further enhance the family atmosphere.
The Riverfront Park Committee created the downtown park in 1999 as a way to beautify that part of town. The park includes a gazebo with picnic tables and a pedestrian footbridge that stretches from the North Street Bridge across the Meduxnekeag River.
At one time, the Riverfront Park area was home to Horten Building Supplies and lumber yard.
Construction is expected to begin this spring, with an opening set in either June or early-July.
