Albany Albany City Council Albany council Albany downtown Albany Fire Department Albany housing Albany parks Albany Planning Commission Albany police Albany Post Office Albany Public Works Albany riverfront Albany schools Albany Station Albany streets Albany traffic Albany urban renewal apartments ARA Benton County bicycling bike lanes Bowman Park Bryant Park Calapooia River CARA climate change COVID-19 Cox Creek Crocker Lane cumberland church cycling Dave Clark Path DEQ downtown Albany Edgewater Village Ellsworth Street bridge Highway 20 homeless housing Interstate 5 land use Linn County Millersburg Monteith Riverpark North Albany ODOT Oregon coast Oregon legislature Pacific Power Portland & Western Queen Avenue Republic Services Riverside Drive Santiam Canal Scott Lepman Talking Water Gardens The Banks Tom Cordier Union Pacific urban renewal Water Avenue Waterfront Project Waverly Lake Willamette River
Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved. Hasso Hering.
Website Serviced by Santiam Communications
On the riverfront, a new convenience
On Tuesday, those doors were still locked.
For a few weeks now, Albany’s Bowman Park has sported a fine new restroom, but it hasn’t been ready for use. Completing it has taken longer than expected, but the wait may be over now.
The facility was installed over the winter and spring at the cost of about $116,000, three-fourths of which was covered by a grant from the State Marine Board. In April the parks department told the local paper that it was expected to be ready by mid-May, but as of June 21 the doors were still locked.
When I inquired about the delay, Parks and Recreation Director Ed Hodney told me late Tuesday via email: “Took longer than expected to complete the electrical and concrete ramp to the new building. Just waiting for final electrical inspection… I believe that inspection was scheduled today.”
This little two-room building replaces a dank old restroom back under the trees in the riverside park. The new location, practically on the parking lot and highly visible, should discourage the vandalism and other problems at the old one. Its arrangement and signage, common now in park restrooms, also avoids any complications over “gender identity.”
Visitors to Bowman Park were not necessarily inconvenienced by the delay in getting this place ready for use. The parks department had thoughtfully arranged for a portable restroom across the parking lot. (hh)
Tags: Albany parks, Albany riverfront, Bowman Park, Marine Board