Noe Valley public toilet
The Noe Valley public toilet was a planned public toilet in the San Francisco neighborhood Noe Valley. It was planned to occupy approximately 10 by 15 feet (3.0 m × 4.6 m) and to be funded by the State of California to address open defecation in the city.[1][2] The responsible government agency, San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, held a press conference in October 2020 in which the department projected its construction to cost $1.7 million.[1][3] San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight reported on the cost.[4] A celebration the city government had planned for the toilet was canceled due to public dissatisfaction with the price and the two year construction timeline.[5] California State Assembly member Matt Haney, representing part of San Francisco, was one of the critics, and stated it showed the city had a "dysfunctional bureaucracy".[6] Haney had secured the $1.7 million.[7]
The office of California governor Gavin Newsom then announced it would withhold the funds until the cost was brought down. In January 2023, city officials announced they were accepting a donated modular bathroom from Public Restroom Company in Nevada. The new estimate with installation, electrical work, landscaping, and other costs comes to $725,000.[7]
See also
References
- Nathan Solis (October 20, 2022). "San Francisco plans to spend 2 years, $1.7 million to build single-toilet public restroom". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
- Lyanne Melendez (October 19, 2022). "SF is in need of public restrooms, but is $1.7M too much for a 150-square-foot facility?". San Francisco: KGO-TV. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- "San Francisco is spending $1.7 million to build a single public toilet". Boing Boing. October 20, 2022. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
How on earth could a public toilet cost $1.7 million and take three years to build? The short answer is 'San Francisco' and its 'maze of planning, permitting, reviews, and public outreach' to get anything done.
- Barmann, Jay (2022-10-24). "Governor's Office Wades Into Noe Valley Toilet Controversy, Says Funds Will Be Withheld". SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- Tori Gaines (October 19, 2022). "Celebration for SF public toilet canceled amid backlash over $1.7M price tag". San Francisco: KRON-TV. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- Keiran Southern (October 20, 2022). "San Francisco is building a $1.7m loo where you can spend a penny ... in 2025". The Times. London. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
Haney, a member of the California State Assembly, said families had long called for a lavatory in the Noe Valley town square, opened in 2016. However, as critics denounced the plan, he said it was the latest example of San Francisco's dysfunctional bureaucracy.
- Knight, Heather (2023-01-27). "S.F. Toiletgate: Noe Valley will get its cheaper bathroom and City Hall gets lessons in finance". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
Further reading
- Knight, Heather (October 19, 2022). "S.F. is spending $1.7 million on one public toilet: 'What are they making it out of – gold?'". San Francisco Chronicle. (subscription required)
- Best, Paul (October 19, 2022). "San Francisco building single public toilet that will cost $1.7 million and won't be completed until 2025". Fox News.
- Pino, Dominic (October 19, 2022). "San Francisco Is Building a Toilet". National Review.
- Tori Gaines (October 20, 2022). "Is San Francisco really paying $1.7 million for a public restroom?". KTLA. Los Angeles.
- Donchey, Sara (October 20, 2022). "Public toilet in San Francisco's Noe Valley comes with painful $1.7M price tag". CBS News.