SACRAMENTO, Calif. — If you find yourself near Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Sacramento and need to use the restroom, good luck finding one. But that issue will change with the Sacramento City Council approving a bathroom proposal for the park on Tuesday.
The 3-acre park has been a hotspot for large gathering events like concerts, farmers markets, and even rallies.
However, the approval doesn’t come without controversy. The park is also a home to many in the homeless community.
Lisa Berkenpas lives near downtown and walks through the park every day. She's afraid the restroom will be trashed and misused.
“People are going to be sleeping in them, and you’re going to see toilet paper and seat covers flying everywhere,” says Berkenpas.
Edward Chu works nearby and walks by the park every day. He thinks its more than a good idea. To him, the public restroom is a necessity.
“I’ve seen people who don’t have access to restroom do their business in public areas, which is not great, but I understand, there is not a lot of resources out there,” says Chu.
Officials with the Department of Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment said the “Portland loo” style restroom will cost the city $103,000. $360,000 from Measure U have been allocated for the project.
They say the unit will have an outside sink and will include an automatic lock.
The public restroom will be ready for use in the summer of 2020, however, it is unknown if the restroom will be open 24 hours a day.
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