Harrison Park rest rooms nearly complete
It’s been a long, bumpy road toward having public rest room facilities at downtown Ellijay’s walking park. Now, it looks like relief is finally in sight.
The public rest rooms at Harrison Park are in their final stages, and all that remains is putting in a small walkway leading from the walking trail to the rest room building, noted Al Fuller, an Ellijay City Councilmember who’s overseen the rest room construction that began almost two years ago.
That last part of the project was supposed to get started and should be completed his week. The rest rooms should be open for public use by next week, noted Mayor Al Hoyle.
“Because of the (rainy) weather, we haven’t been able to create that trail,” Fuller said. “We have the materials. It’s just a matter of going in there and doing it, which shouldn’t take but a day or two. As soon as the trail is done, the bathrooms will be ready (for use).”
The new facilities are equipped with such modern, power-saving fixtures as lights that turn on and off when someone enters or exits, a hot water system that provides hot water only when needed instead of running constantly and auto-flush toilets.
“It’s top of the line equipment. Everything is attached to the wall. There’s nothing on the floor,” he said.
A cupola and apple-shaped weather vane, both aesthetic touches in keeping with the facilities’ farmhouse look, were hoisted on the roof and set in place last week.
Fuller said the red apple weather vane was made at no charge to the city by Dr. Jon Mehlferber, a professor of design and sculpture at the University of North Georgia (UNG), and Scott Lacey, also a member of the UNG faculty.
“They built the weather vane and donated their time, service and materials,” he added.
The cupola, the type of box-or dome shaped accent typically seen atop churches, was built by Tommy Cofield, a Dahlonega metalworker.
“He’s built cupolas before for churches. He really knew what he was doing and did a great job,” said Fuller.
The city council hoped to save money by not hiring a general contractor for the entire rest room project, so individual portions were done by several different entities. The labor was coordinated by Denny Stover, a local contractor who donated his time to the project, noted Fuller.
“We did have a contractor to begin with, but he backed out. That was at a point when we couldn’t even find (another) contractor,” he added. “Denny was kind of the guiding force (in this). He took it upon himself to make sure that the work was completed.”
Supply chain issues, contractor availability, bad weather and rising material prices are among the setbacks that have delayed the project, Fuller noted. “It was a race, (with the prices of materials going up),” he added.
The estimated cost of the entire project is around $150,000, noted Fuller. The rest room construction was funded by SPLOST revenue, Hoyle confirmed.
“I went to a contractor in Cobb County that builds bathrooms, and that’s all they do. Even before COVID, they wanted $250,000 to build (rest rooms) that size,” said Fuller.
The City of Ellijay will remove portable toilets, which have long been the only option of its kind at the park, after the rest rooms are opened for public use, he added.