Business owners to ask Ocean Shores officials to address lack of public restrooms on main corridor

A resident and several commissioners on Tuesday discussed a shortage of public restrooms along Ocean Shores’ main retail corridor and asked city staff to look into options, including additional portable facilities, ahead of the summer tourist season.

The speaker, identified in the meeting as Steve, said his wife owns one of the multicolored boardwalk condominiums near the downtown area and that owners are frequently asked by passersby to use their restrooms. He described small retail spaces where restrooms are crowded with inventory and noted an existing portable toilet near a strip mall by the liquor store.

"The dearth of restrooms on that main drag is a problem for tourists and for people who own businesses there," Steve said. Commissioners and the city liaison discussed current arrangements for large events and the location and hours of public restrooms.

Marshall, the city liaison, said the convention center brings in rows of portable restrooms for large events and that beach-approach restrooms are maintained on a weekly schedule. Commissioners noted vandalism and nighttime closures at the Shiloh bus-stop restroom and identified a gap in centrally located facilities in the downtown core. No budget or funding source was identified during the discussion.

The commission asked the resident to gather information from affected property owners and asked Marshall to investigate whether the city provides more portable restrooms for non–convention-center events, how those facilities are funded or leased, and what it would cost to place additional units in the downtown corridor. Commissioners said a follow-up item could appear on a future agenda once staff compiles cost and operational options.