Chip Rerig (City Administrator) vs. Don Perry (Resident)

Scenic Bathrooms

“…our scenic beach restrooms facility was the first runner up in the 2017 Cintas America’s Hall of Fame best bathroom contest.”

As described by Cintas, “The Carmel Beach restrooms are built on a bluff just west of Scenic Road at Santa Lucia Avenue, designed to blend in with the beauty of the surrounding area. A stone veneer and board-form finish on the concrete walls provides a rustic look, and a “green roof” covered in plants to complement the surrounding scenery, while the mahogany doors provide a rich contrast. Located adjacent to a heavily-used pedestrian trail, the usefulness of the restroom facility is equal to its aesthetically pleasing appearance.”

SOURCE: FRIDAY LETTER

January 25, 2019

vs.

"In the end there were so many compromises made that in spite of spending nearly $1 million, the result was two restrooms. The city quickly realized the folly of one men’s and one women’s and quickly converted them to gender neutral. The restrooms accomplished what the neighbors wanted. The design fits in well. However, that’s all that was accomplished. On Father’s Day, I had about 20 minutes to appreciate the aesthetics as I waited behind a long line. On a busy day, one of the two restrooms was out of order. The other had no toilet paper and the sink was backed up. I walk that beach path every day. Given the choice of a beautiful bathroom, poorly maintained with a long line or a porta potty available immediately, I’d settle for the latter. Maybe those residents were right all along and could have saved the city a lot of money. I can only imagine what tourists who travel to see one of those most beautiful beaches in the world think about how difficult we have made it for them to find a bathroom."

Don Perry, Carmel

SOURCE: Expensive and inadequate, Don Perry, Carmel, Letters to the Editor, The Carmel Pine Cone, January 25, 2019, 12A