BANGOR — Beginning next week, the City will host three public forums to discuss with residents a proposal to add single-unit public bathrooms at various locations in the City.
The addition of the freestanding bathrooms is meant to enhance amenities as cited in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, as well as to address a years-long recurring complaint by residents and visitors alike that there aren’t enough public bathrooms available.
The first public forum to discuss the proposal is scheduled for Wednesday, March 27, at Fairmount School on 13th Street at 6 p.m. The second forum will be held the next day, Thursday, March 28, at the William S. Cohen School on Garland Street at 6 p.m. And the third gathering is scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, downtown at the Bangor Public Library, also at 6 p.m.
There currently are a limited number of public bathrooms in the City available to people: at the library, at temporary City Hall in the Penquis building on Harlow Street, and two others along the waterfront that are open seasonally.
The City is considering adding a single-unit bathroom along Broad Street and one at each of the following five City parks: Broadway, Chapin, Coe, Fairmount and Hayford.
The freestanding units would be constructed with steel siding, mounted on a concrete pad and have an opening at the bottom to allow for cleaning, ventilation and monitoring. Bathroom locations under consideration are meant to balance ease of maintenance and ease of access. The structures, once installed, can be relocated as needs, or priorities, change. One idea under review is to add an art element to the bathrooms, which would increase their visibility.
Part of this effort is based on the understanding that having available public bathrooms is more than just a convenience for people, it’s also a matter of public health. People can’t spend an extended amount of time using a downtown or city amenity without available public bathrooms.
The Bangor City Council encourages residents to attend the public forums to lend their voice to this important discussion as the proposal moves forward.
