Portland Loo Planned for Jamison Square

Jamison Square is one of the most popular city parks during the summer months. However, visitors to the park have faced a nagging problem: no public toilet within convenient walking distance of the park. The problem is especially acute for families with small children, who are among the biggest users of the park.

Initially, businesses around the park let park visitors use their restrooms, but as Jamison's popularity grew—and the number of visitors greatly increased—those businesses have since restricted restroom use to customers only. With no real alternative—outside of making a small purchase at a local business—parents routinely have their children seek relief in neighboring tree wells or in the garden space of Park Place Condominiums (adjacent to the park). This is obviously unsightly, but it presents a larger public health issue, because human waste in public spaces can contribute to the spread of disease. And, yeah, it's gross.

Relief may soon be on the way. The Portland Water Bureau is considering installing a Portland Loo in Jamison Square.

On a visit to the Pearl District last February, Randy Leonard was informed about the toilet issue by Pearl neighbors, and he promised to try and do something about it. According to Leonard, by putting a loo in Jamison, he is being responsive to neighbors' request.

A new look at the intersection of NW 11th and Johnson?

Other residents contend, however, that the neighborhood was not properly informed about this plan and express concern about a public toilet operating 24 hours, 7 days a week in a family-oriented park. Pearl resident Sandy Ammerman said that the neighborhood association learned about the current plan through a newspaper article rather than being contacted directly by the City.

Ammerman and other residents are concerned about how the loo will be managed and its potential for crime, which has occurred in other public toilets. According to Leonard, "If the neighborhood does not want it, there are plenty of others that do and I will have it installed somewhere else."

The neighborhood association is now involved in the process. At last night's meeting of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association Planning Committee, Chair Patricia Gardner summarized the meetings she's had with the Water Department and Parks Department about the loo:

Placement of the loo is tricky, because it needs access to both a sewer line and potable water. Sewer lines run along Northwest 10th and Northwest 11th and through Jamison where Northwest Kearny used to be. Water is available on the south side of the park close to Northwest Johnson. Placing the loo along the north side of the park, where the sewer line is, would put it right in front of Fenouil or Sip & Kranz. While it's a cost effective location, both restaurants have outdoor seating making it an undesirable option. Other areas in the park were considered, but had security, access to utilities, and lack of sun issues. The Portland Loos are solar powered and need direct sunlight.

The only viable option is for the loo to be placed at the southwest corner of the park at the intersection of Northwest 11th and Johnson, in the parking space currently occupied by Zipcar (The Zipcar would move one space over). This location is ideal, because it provides access to the sun, the sewer along Northwest 11th, potable water, and offers better security (under a streetlight at an active corner).

The hitch: Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) must agree to give up the parking space. Those discussions are now underway.

Downtown Clean & Safe would manage the loo, and it would be cleaned twice a day. The door to the loo would face the park, offering parents a direct line of sight.

The PDNA Planning Committee voted to support the proposal of a Portland Loo in Jamison Square and to support the southwest corner location. However, this is not a done deal. PBOT must agree to give up the parking space and the Portland Water Bureau must determine if the installation cost fits within its budget. (According to Leonard, money for the loos was set aside two years ago.) Either of these issues could derail the project.

If these issues are hashed out and a loo in Jamison is determined to be feasible, the PDNA will tackle the issues of hours of operation and management in greater detail.

Stay tuned.

Update 9/2, 12:20 p.m.: If you'd like to lobby for or against the Jamison loo, here are the pertinent contacts:
Update 9/23, 3:30pm.: Updated this list with more direct contacts to the water bureau.

Randy Leonard's Office: Anna DiBenedetto, adibenedetto@ci.portland.or.us
Portland Water Bureau: Anne Hill, anne.hill@ci.portland.or.us
Portland Water Bureau: Ross Turkus, ross.turkus@ci.portland.or.us
PDNA Planning Committee: Patricia Gardner, patricia@chesshirarchitecture.com

Update 9/17, 11:50 a.m.: The PDNA Planning Committee held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday and provided additional information and clarification about the loo in Jamison Square.

• The Planning Committee learned about this proposal via a newspaper article. It did not receive an official notification.

• Randy Leonard was told about the problem with Jamison 2 years ago. He thinks the loo will solve the problem.

• Porta-Potties had been considered in the past, but rejected because of the smell, poor aesthetics, and because they're not a permanent solution.

• PDNA Planning Committee had asked Parks and developers to build a restroom, but were rebuffed.

• In the Committee's view, the restroom issue is a longstanding problem having been discussed since the park opened 5 years ago. The committee's support of the current proposal is based on 5 years of discussion and feedback from Pearl District residents.

• Communication have been challenging because property managers won't give out contact information for board presidents due to privacy concerns. The committee has had to rely on property management firms to contact the presidents on behalf of the committee.

Residents expressed their concerns-mirroring those expressed here:

• Security and maintenance. 24 hour access is seen as a safety concern, fear of drug use, and responsibility for and frequency of cleaning.

• Residents felt that the process has been rushed and hasn't provided for adequate public input.

• The Loo is unattractive and doesn't fit with the design of the park.

Gardner's response to these concerns:

• The loo is specifically designed to avoid many of the problems of standard public restrooms.

• There is a city budget to maintain the loo, it has yet to be determined who will do the maintenance. It is possible that Multi Services Inc, who already does daily maintenance in the park, would be given the contract to maintain the loo. They could provide cleaning during the day and security at night, as they already do for the buildings they manage.

• The process has been ongoing and open during the 5 years since the park opened. Residents are always free to attend meetings and comment.]

Update 9/29, 10:44 a.m.: Portland Water Bureau Moves Forward with Plans for Jamison Loo