The Ellijay Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is looking ahead at renovating downtown’s public restrooms.
During a June 8 DDA meeting at City Hall, board members reviewed an almost $6,000 cost estimate for updating the interior and exterior of the concrete block restroom building in the city parking lot off River Street. That estimate includes such exterior improvements as a metal roof and column wraps, as well as such interior fixtures as toilets, faucets and mirrors.
Karen Driskell, an interior designer assisting the DDA with project planning, said the cost estimate is for materials only and does not include labor. The DDA is currently looking into the possibility of using students in a Gilmer High construction class to assist with the physical labor.
“The kids have to be fed, (so) they (would) go down in the mornings and they have to go back to have lunch. We can bring them back after that, and they’ve got to be back by 3 p.m., so it’s small chunks of time,” said board member Keith Nunn.
“We’ve found a contractor who’s willing to supervise them during these chunks of time to make sure it’s done properly, (and) the teacher will be there. What we’re really shooting for is if we could do some Saturday workdays,” he added.
It will first have to be determined, from a liability standpoint, if student labor can actually be used for the project.
“That’s going to change our project cost if we can’t get (student labor), then we’ll have to pay for labor. If it turns out we can’t use them, it’s a totally different project,” noted DDA Chairman Reece Sanford, who suggested taking the project before the Ellijay City Council to find out if it can be funded through the city budget.
Board member Sandy Ott said the restrooms were ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) approved when built and are currently working restrooms. “What’s the rationale of changing all the working fixtures out?” she asked.
Driskell noted that some ADA requirements have changed since then.
“The faucet is not ADA-compliant now because everything has to be a lever. We need at least two new handicapped stalls, which is one men’s and one women’s,” she added.
With the public facilities being a target for vandalism over the years, Ott said, per a conversation with Mayor Al Hoyle, including a diaper changing station approved and added to the project list by the DDA may not be possible because of liability concerns.
Board members agreed that, for many visitors, public restrooms provide a first impression of their destinations, and the possibility of installing security cameras outside the facilities to deter future vandalism was also discussed. No decision was made about that idea.
There are still several more steps that will have to be accomplished before any physical work can begin on the project, noted Sanford. It first has to be approved by the Ellijay Historic Preservation Commission and city council.
Chuck Prater, owner of buildings that neighbor the restrooms, told DDA members that he’s on board with the project and is working to clean, maintain and keep his property presentable.
“I’m on the same page with what’s going on in downtown Ellijay. I like what I see. I’m on the same page as y’all are,” Prater said.
The DDA is also looking into starting a beautification project in which decorative hanging baskets would be hung from existing poles along downtown streets. That project is also still in the early planning stages.