Rural Retreat council seeks cost estimate to add bathrooms for farmers market

The Rural Retreat Town Council voted to obtain a cost estimate to add two bathrooms inside the existing downtown brick building and to install a walkway connecting the building to the town farmers market.

Town staff presented engineering feedback that producing a standalone restroom building would be considerably more expensive than incorporating bathrooms inside the building already on site. A staff member told the council that a standalone structure could be roughly $50,000 more than renovating the existing building and that site-plan and architectural fees would add to the town’s costs. The council discussed ADA access, the distance from the market to the building, and whether to begin the season with portable toilets or wait until permanent facilities are complete. One council member said, “I just don't I'd rather not start out our farmers market using porta johns,” underscoring the urgency for an accessible, on-site solution (attributed to S6, town staff member).

After an initial, withdrawn motion to build a standalone restroom, the council refined the request: members asked staff to prepare a cost estimate for installing two bathrooms in the existing brick building and a walkway from the farmers market to that building. The motion was moved and seconded (documented in the meeting as a motion by Council Member Lewis, seconded by Council Member Lloyd) and carried on a voice vote with members saying “aye.”

The vote does not commit the town to construction; council instructed staff to return with cost estimates and potential site-plan requirements so members can decide whether to renovate the existing structure or pursue a separate building in a future meeting.