How Much Longer?
On the western edge of the Off-Leash Dog Area sits this porta-potty, one of the three sets of these temporary facilities that have been stuck in the park for thirty years. This what it looked like on a recent Sunday morning:
The person to thank for this facility is Scott Ferris, Director of the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department, City of Berkeley.
No other city on San Francisco Bay still maintains these trashy, anti-women, anti-child, anti-disabled, anti-health, anti-decency facilities in its parks. Only progressive Berkeley under Ferris.
A thousand park visitors have signed a petition for better bathrooms in the park. Every member of City Council, even the City Manager, is in favor of replacing park porta-potties with permanent bathrooms. But Ferris won’t do it.
Ferris still claims that permanent park restrooms cost close to a million dollars apiece. This is way off base. Beautiful permanent units with flush toilet and a handwashing sink are available for sixty thousand dollars installed. It’s also a fact that maintenance on permanent bathrooms costs one-third as much as porta-potty service.
How much longer? It’s only a matter of time before aroused park visitors hire a truck and cart these stinking abominations to the front yard of Ferris’ house and tip them over.
Similar Posts:
- Sky River
- Public Restroom Study Report
- Toilet Tease
- Butterflies and Budgets: Parks Commission Meets
- Op-ed in Berkeleyside 5/9/17
- Now’s the Time for Better Bathrooms
- Conservancy: Annual Report 2022
- Better Bathrooms at City Council (Again)
- City Attorneys Slap Down Parks Boss’ Legal Flim-Flam
- Porta-Potties Can’t be Improved On: Parks Boss
