Council calls for public restroom mockup despite opposition

CHESTERTOWN — For about a year now, Chestertown’s been talking about getting a public bathroom downtown as a permanent fixture.

After further discussion with Chestertown Manager Larry DiRe, during the June 17 council meeting, there was an unanimous decision to explore 300 Cannon St. as the place they’ll build, the site of the old Dunkin’ Donuts.

County funding in the form of an $80,000 grant will help complete the project, as will $150,000 from Mainstreet Chestertown awarded with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. With a total of $230,000 to get it completed, ideally, DiRe said, that will happen by May of next year.

However, no final decision was made for the location. Council member Tom Herz said it’s just an agreement to explore that location.

In the past there has been much discussion about the need for a downtown public restroom, DiRe said. Several sites have been considered, all with pros and cons.

One site was Memorial Plaza. That site was an unpopular choice, DiRe told the council.

Another was the parking lot at the north side of Fountain Park, and the parking lot area facing the 300 block of Cannon Street, their best option right now.

During the March 4 and March 18 council meetings, that location was discussed in further detail.

Bob Sipes, utilities manager, had confirmed the availability of water and sewer utility connections but no action was taken by the council.

“Should the town consider one of the options presented to locate a public bathroom facility and begin the process of design review and approval?” DiRe asked then.

The answer he came back with to the council was yes, so they can start the design review process.

The council made strides in its last meeting.

But there are a few roadblocks.

The town owns the sidewalk on Cannon Street, but the area between the sidewalk and the breezeway is privately owned. It’s a narrow strip of property, council member Tim O’Brien said.

There are some parking spaces there now. So people coming from the farmers market who go through the breezeway to get to the restroom (if built there), would be on private property.

In the near future, they’ll have to negotiate with the landowner, looking at easements and consulting with legal counsel about that, O’Brien suggested.

Another issue is how to make sure the facilities will be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, council member Jose Medrano added.

“You have to have a clean easy sidewalk to get to it,” O’Brien said. That being the case, he would prefer it to be built closest to the sidewalk.

The mayor commented he’d prefer it closest to the buildings and breezeway, so that people don’t have to go as far.

In that case, council member Meghan Efland said, some infrastructure may have to be built. A special walkway so people exiting the breezeway don’t cross the parking lot.

Efland told Foster they have to think about “creating a ramp so you make a permanent change on private property.”

Another issue was what was the most cost-efficient option, the mayor asked.

It turns out what’s most cost efficient for the town would be to use a site that is already easy to tie in to existing utilities.

Sipes had recommended to O’Brien that closer to Cannon Street is the best location to save the town money. It’s because it’s got a certain grade that allows it to drain. Any higher, meaning any closer to the breezeway, additional lines may have to be installed.

Despite saying that this public restroom idea right now is unpopular to those he’s talked with, O’Brien called for making a decision about focusing on this specific site.

They all agreed.

The council members are hoping that with the restrooms at Chestertown Marina converted to public use, and the possibility of some at the visitors center and maybe even at Town Hall on Cross Street, that they’ll have enough to accommodate people as they browse the farmer’s market and many of the festivals held here.

And, in case of emergencies, the bathroom trailer, is always an option.

DiRe recognizes whatever they decide, it’s going to face some feedback.

“If we want to build this thing somebody’s going to be unhappy where it is. Somebody’s going to be unhappy what it looks like,” DiRe said.

But they can certainly try.

The next steps are getting a mockup of the building for the location at 300 Cannon St., which will go through the Historic District Commission and Kent County Planning and Zoning for public comment.

Also Sipes will be asked to provide further information at the July 1 meeting pertaining to the infrastructure.

“It’s a feasibility assessment of this site,” Chestertown Mayor David Foster said, simplifying the matter. “We’re getting a mock up so people can look at the site, identify what are the areas we need additional easements for, and move forward.”