Residents of a downtown condo aren’t accepting a public toilet next to their building without putting up a stink.
At a June 17 workshop, council voted 4-2 in support of a recommendation directing staff to proceed with the installation of a permanent free-standing toilet on Begbie Street, between Columbia and Front streets. The structure will be located on the sidewalk on the west side of the street (next to the Interurban condominium).
That project came as a shock to owners and residents in the Interurban, who are irked by the city plan.
On Friday, the building’s strata sent out an “important notice” to Interurban owners and residents about the freestanding toilet on Begbie Street. It informed them that the city had approved the installation of a permanent free-standing toilet near the entrance to their building.
“This was done without consultation with stakeholders including the owners and residents of Interurban,” said the notice. “The strata is seeking legal counsel on the matter and will be calling a townhall to gather feedback from owners and residents. We will begin a formal petition along with other actions advised by the strata attorney as soon as possible.”
At Monday’s workshop, staff told council the permanent toilet facility had originally been planned for Hyack Square, but that location had been deemed to be technically unfeasible. Staff said they’d reviewed all potential locations for a toilet in the downtown, and the Begbie Street site was the only one that worked because of area’s sloping topography and extensive network of existing services, including a Metro Vancouver sewer line.
In a letter to the editor of the Record, resident Joseph Kwo expressed concern about “the lack of consultation and respect” for the residents of 14 Begbie St. and potential neighbourhood impacts from having a toilet near their front door.
“The location of the public toilet is puzzling at best,” he wrote. “Which factors (terrain slope, sewage pipes) led to the conclusion that the best place for a public toilet is at an apartment’s entrance, at the corner of a soon-to-be very crowded intersection. The concrete hasn’t even set, yet it’s time to bring in the jackhammer once more.”
Bosa Development is currently doing works in the area around its Pier West project at 660 Quayside Dr. This work has required the temporary closure of the 600 and 700 blocks of Quayside Drive and has closed the Begbie Street entrance to the riverfront until July 22.
As part of the Pier West project, Bosa is also constructing a pedestrian and bicycle railway crossing on the east side of Begbie Street, across the street from the Interurban. That work is expected to be completed this year.
