Two years after it was purchased and then stored away, Terrace city council has chosen a location in the downtown core for a $150,000 public-use toilet.
After being presented with a series of options at their July 24 meeting, councillors chose the sidewalk area adjacent to the large vacant lot on the corner of the 4600 Block of Lakelse and Kalum.
The location for the Portland Loo, so named because it grew out of the City of Portland, Oregon’s need to find a a sturdy and suitable public toilet to serve that city’s homeless population, was one of several options considered and discarded by city staffers.
Hooking up the toilet to existing city water and sanitary lines and to electricity will cost anywhere from $40,000 to $60,000, city officials estimated at one time.
The unit will have a heater to keep it warm over the winter months but city development services director David Block did note that it may have to be closed during extreme cold weather periods. No decision has been made yet as to how many hours a day it should be open.
Block also said the toilet will have to be moved when the day comes the city has a design and financing in place for a complete rebuild of the 4600 Block of Lakelse.
Mayor Sean Bujtas acknowledged the length of time from the Loo’s purchase to its now-planned installation later this year, saying that it was difficult to find a suitable location and that city lacked the capacity to put it into place.
City staffers said the location would increase use and that the highly visible location would reduce bad behaviour and social disorder.
The location is also one leading to complaints about public urination and public defecation.
Staffers did indicate there might be pushback from businesses in the area simply because of the toilet’s installation.
Councillor Brian Downie did question Block, asking if the narrow laneway beside the building housing the Ninja restaurant might be more suitable.
Block said the laneway is too narrow and that people could easily hide behind the toilet structure.
Downie then wondered if the location suggested might pose problems for snowclearing in the winter, something Block said would not be the case.
Councillor James Cordeiro did join Downie in wondering about the possibility of damage should the structure be hit by a vehicle.
Block said staffers will consider placing low metal posts filled with concrete around the structure as a buffer to possible damage.
Staffers did consider a spot around city hall where Lakelse meets Eby St. noting that increased housing in that area may increase the demand for a public washroom.
But it was discarded because there was more vehicle traffic than pedestrian activity in that area.
And it was not a location of complaints about the level of public urination and public defecation.
The corner of Greig and Kalum at the former Co-op site was also considered but then also discarded because of the lack of pedestrian traffic in the area and the potential for social and other disorder because it was not a highly visible spot.