Pioneer Square, Ballard seek to add new public toilets

There might be plenty of places to go in Seattle. But there aren’t enough places to “go.” After previous attempts to solve Seattle’s paucity of public potties, new efforts are underway to bring relief to several neighborhoods.

On a sunny late winter afternoon, Ballard is bustling. Shoppers crowd the sidewalks, the Ballard Commons park is busy with families and the homeless as crews work nearby on a number of new construction projects. But there’s just one problem: the only public bathroom anywhere nearby is an outhouse.

Related: Seattle business owner erects homemade outhouses in Pioneer Square

“We’ve already reached 300 percent of the target population growth as projected by the city’s comprehensive plan,” says Mike Stewart, Executive Director of the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. “Along with the growth we need some additional city services. One of them happens to be a public restroom facility.”

The Chamber of Commerce is spearheading the Ballard Partnership For Smart Growth – a coalition of residents, businesses and local leaders.

Stewart says that smart growth must include a place to go.

“It needs to be used by visitors, folks who are coming to the park to play or are spending some time. And it needs to be used by shoppers and diners and everyone else,” says Stewart.

The coalition has launched a new feasibility study to identify the preferred location and design of a clean, safe, and accessible permanent public restroom in Central Ballard.

It’s an issue facing neighborhoods across the city. For years, Seattle has tried to come up with more public restroom options, especially downtown.

The city spent $5 million on five automated toilets that were ultimately sold off because they became so gross and unmanageable, overrun by drug users and prostitutes.

Some neighborhood groups, including those in Pioneer Square continued pleading for help, especially in areas where people frequently urinate and defecate in public.

Gary Johnson is the Center City coordinator for Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development. He says after several years of research, the city is close to putting in at least one new portable public restroom in Pioneer Square.

“Pioneer Square said to the city that even though the automated public toilet program was not successful our need has not gone away. Please work with us to take another shot at this,” says Johnson.

Officials have settled on the Portland Loo, a prefabricated, sturdy and simple metal structure that’s proven successful in Portland. Plans are being finalized to install it on the edge of Occidental Park.

“They’re thrilled with how well they’re working serving not only the poor and folks with limited access to restrooms but really people from all walks of life,” says Johnson.

Ballard is considering the Portland Loo for its public restroom as well, along with a larger, more conventional comfort station. But they’re not cheap. Each unit costs about $90,000 to purchase, and thousands more to install and maintain. The community would need the city to help cover much of the cost.

“We need to make sure that whatever facility is chosen, whatever site is selected, it has to be clean and well maintained enough that the whole community feels comfortable using it,” says Stewart.

That’s an even bigger issue in Pioneer Square, especially in light of the previous failures that resulted in portable toilets so disgusting, even the most destitute started avoiding them.

Johnson says the design as well as oversight have both played a big part in keeping the toilets clean, safe and useable in Portland.

And although Occidental Park is still overrun by the homeless and downtrodden, Johnson is optimistic Weyerhauser’s impending move to the neighborhood will play a big part in helping clean up the area.

“The construction of the new building that will abut the park and bring 800 new employees in plus the surface retail there I think will be transformative in its effect on Occidental Park,” says Johnson.

The location should be finalized this week, and once issues such as plumbing and dealing with historic preservation rules are taken care, the city can order its loo, says Johnson. It should be up and running in the next few months. If it’s successful, others could follow.