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Planning commission discusses signage, maintenance and survey options to improve public restrooms
Summary
Commissioners discussed strategies to make public restrooms more available and visible to visitors, including signage, mapping, coordination with local businesses and a public survey; commissioners agreed signage is a low‑cost near‑term step and asked a subcommittee to collect information from merchants.
At its June 24 meeting the Ocean Shores Planning Commission discussed a follow‑up on public restrooms, focusing on maintenance, signage and short‑term fixes to serve summer visitors.
Commissioners reported on site visits and conversations with merchants near the busy retail corridor around Tonquin Avenue and Marine View Drive. One commissioner said a single porta‑potty had recently replaced other public access in a retail cluster and that some merchants told commissioners they typically do not allow customers to use their restrooms because of past problems. Commissioners said the lack of signage makes existing public facilities hard to find.
The commission discussed several potential approaches: place directional signage to known public restrooms, add restroom locations to online maps (for example, Google Maps), coordinate with community business groups to sponsor signs, and ask city staff to run a short public survey to gather usage and location preferences. Marshall, the city planner/community development liaison, suggested a digital listing could be a low‑cost first step: "When I need something in an area that I'm unfamiliar with, I pull out my phone and look for public restrooms, and then drop my pin," he said, noting that adding consistent map entries and a universal symbol would help visitors.
Commissioners and attendees also discussed using the convention center restrooms during large events, and the possibility of locating temporary units near key corridors on peak weekends. A member of the commission offered a small donation toward signage during the meeting; commissioners recorded the contribution and discussed next steps for a sign program.
The commission agreed on two near‑term actions: (1) the restroom subcommittee (Commissioners Kern and Johnson) will contact merchants in the retail area to assess willingness to allow public access or to host signage; and (2) staff will prepare a short online survey and a proposal for directional signage to present at the commission's next meeting. Commissioners noted that signage requires an implementation plan (design, placement and funding) and that partnering with local business groups or sponsors could reduce city costs.
The commission positioned signage and mapping as immediate, low‑cost measures while leaving larger decisions — new permanent facilities or ongoing staffing/maintenance — for future budget and council discussions.
The commission asked staff to report back at the July 8 meeting with draft survey language and the subcommittee's outreach findings.
