Letter: Columbia Point park needs restrooms fixed

Columbia Point Park at the marina is an extremely popular recreation area, yet it has been without restrooms for months.

According to the Richland Parks and Recreation stuff, vandals destroyed the toilets and sinks in all three rooms — women, men and family — on several occasions.

And the repair was not put in high priority because of repeated work and cost.

Many park users have voiced the disappointment at the prolonged closure of the restroom at the marina. Given the park’s popularity, the facility must receive a higher budget priority and be fixed soon. Porta potties for months on end is not the answer.

Further, I challenge the city to brainstorm cost-effective security measures around these facilities. Increased park patrol by rangers or police would be effective to combat the problem.

Installation of out-of-reach trail cameras and volunteer citizen patrols are a couple ideas. Perhaps simply locking the door at night, with a single porta-potty for after hours, might help avoid expensive repairs and prove cost-effective.

Now the weather is getting cold, and a regular working restroom with added security is definitely needed.

This story was originally published October 23, 2017 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Letter: Columbia Point park needs restrooms fixed."