Montrose, CO – Construction has begun this week on the new restroom facility in Riverbottom Park. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, the city will install temporary portable restrooms for visitors to the park to use during this construction.
The city had planned to leave the existing restroom building open for public use through October, while heavy construction of the new facility is underway. During the excavation of the area this week, contractors found that the existing sewer lone interfered with the foundation of the new restroom facility. According to Public Works Manager Jim Scheid, the elevation and condition of this existing sewer line prevent it from being able to remain during the construction of the new building.
"This means we will need to close the existing restroom sooner than we had hoped," Scheid said. "We will have port-a-potties delivered to Riverbottom tomorrow (Wednesday), and will then close the restroom to allow the construction crew to remove the sewer line.
In addition to the portable restrooms, the public is reminded that there are nearby restrooms at McNeil Fields, Cerise Park, and at the Sunset Mesa Baseball Complex.
The new restroom facility project is part of the conceptual Riverbottom Master Plan that will also upgrade an existing sewer line to improve waste drainage from the park.
City Councilors in August approved the final cost of the restroom facility that came in about $50,000 under the project's original budget. At that time Scheid described to councilors the new restroom facility as a larger, more efficient structure than the existing restroom facility and will feature large skylights to allow more natural light to brighten the inside. The new building will be accessible to all citizens by standards set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The facility is to be attached to a 3,000 square-foot concrete patio equipped with large ultra-violet sunshades.
The restrooms will be located just west of the current facility, and the concrete patio will be placed where the existing sand volleyball court is located.
For public safety, the city would like to remind both local residents and visitors of the park to keep out of the construction area to prevent serious injury.
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