PORT ANGELES — The City of Port Angeles will open 24-hour restroom facilities downtown on Monday.
Recently installed at the Gateway Transit Center and Breezeway parking lot areas, the restrooms will be free to use and open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to a city press release issued Friday.
The total cost of the project — including the prefabricated restrooms, construction and infrastructure work — totals $729,544.
The Port Angeles City Council approved the purchase of the Portland Loos in May.
To determine suitable locations, city staff worked with Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human (PHLUSH), a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring equitable public restroom availability.
“Over the years and especially during the pandemic, we have seen an increased need for 24-hour restrooms, particularly in the downtown corridor,” said Corey Delikat, Parks & Recreation director.
“The Portland Loos help to address this need, not only providing function, but they are also great from a maintenance perspective.”
The Portland Loo single-occupant restroom design is ADA-compliant and uses Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, or CPTED, principles to discourage illegal activities.
Each restroom is protected with an anti-graffiti clear coat and includes stainless steel toilets and wall panels for durability and easy cleaning.
Additional amenities include angled louvers for visual privacy, skylights, baby changing stations, and recessed handwashing stations with air dryer, tempered water and soap dispenser.
The facilities, which will be maintained by the Parks & Recreation Department, are functional year-round.
The existing concrete-block public restrooms in city parks and stand-alone locations are generally open from dawn to dusk. In the winter, hours are from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Unlike those, the Portland Loos will be open continuously and will not require winterization during the cold months.
The city council was flooded with public testimony in November 2018 from residents who complained about human waste and trash accumulating at Veterans Memorial Park and other city properties.
Delikat had said the city’s public restrooms have required more maintenance in recent years because of spikes in vandalism, needles being flushed and other inappropriate uses.
