(credit: GV Downtown Association)
I remember when San Francisco struck a 20 year-deal to install French-made JCDecaux (pronounced zhay-say deh-KOH) street toilets — automatic and self-cleaning.
The City of Grass Valley — thanks to hard-working, creative volunteers — is working on its own program that includes re-painting and freshening up the bathrooms and painting, securing and locking the downtown trash enclosures.
It comes as the city has enacted a no smoking ordinance — all told, a good plan.
The bathrooms at the Elisabeth Daniels Park a .16 acre “urban plaza” at 125 Neal Street, next to the Grass Valley Downtown Association offices, got a needed paint job and facelift inside. They were gross.
Artist Jerianne Van Dijk volunteered to paint a mural inside — a creative task that goes well beyond the normal call of duty but shows our commitment to a “tidy town.”
“I love the whimsical energy,” was one response. Jerianne paints murals at some of the most attractive homes and businesses in our community in her business, Jerianne Van Dijk Illustrations.
GVDA Executive Director Julia Jordan and the board of directors was a catalyst to bringing about the needed improvements, along with a corp of volunteers armed with cleaning and painting gear donated by some local businesses.
Cleaning up the trash enclosure areas also was a welcome sight.
The “news” broke on Facebook, another reminder how social media is redefining how we communicate.
Thanks to all of you!
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Jerianne, Nice work!
Listening to Jerianne this morning on KVMR, great listening-
I applaude the “short term” solution to our public restroom problem. I think GV and NC need to look into something like the “Portland Loo” that could potentially solve multiple problems and issues that public restrooms present. They have a costly upfront cost but a potential savings in the long-run. Check out this article:
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2012/01/why-portlands-public-toilets-succeeded-where-others-failed/1020/
Love the hi tech loo, but at $100K per unit probably not in the cards for GV/NC. would be interesting to do a long term cost/benefit analysis.
Henry Miller called them “pissoirs”
He found them very practical and thought we needed them in American cities.
It is certainly worth a try, and there are vintage looks compatible with gold rush era architecture for these “sanisettes”.
Seats in the Tokyo airport are also self-cleaning. After use, they (the seats) spin around presumably going through a cleaning machine–real eerie the first time I saw it.