Waynesville playground and rec park to get much needed new restrooms
The vandalized, charred restrooms in the Waynesville Recreation Park will soon get a long-awaited facelift.
The Waynesville Board of Aldermen last week approved a renovation plan for the graffiti-covered restrooms which border the town’s playground, tennis courts and softball fields. The restrooms have long been in a state of disrepair and were closed for good more than year ago after being the target of arson.
LQ Design Options, a Waynesville-based design firm, has developed plans to turn the shuttered restrooms in a new multipurpose building. The town board approved the estimated $180,000 project last week and authorized LQ Design Options to put it out to bid.
The building will include new toilets and bathroom fixtures, new plumbing, a pitched roof, an extended picnic shelter with places to barbecue, a concession stand, a food prep area with a microwave and possibly a popcorn machine, and a meeting room.
The current facility was originally the bathhouse for the town’s former outdoor swimming pool. During the years, it had become an eyesore and a target for vandals. Despite frequent cleanings, the inside of the restrooms were usually trashed with graffiti, and occasionally, the sinks and fixtures were ripped off the walls. Then, in May last year, arsonists set the restrooms on fire. As a result, the town received about $97,000 in insurance money, which will help offset the cost of construction. The remainder will come out of the towns Capital Projects Fund.
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The aldermen were pleased with the design drawn up by Luis Quevedo of LQ Design Options in conjunction with Architect Bill Dechant, as well as the low price of the renovation.
“We are getting a pretty nice deal on a renovated facility that is going to look great,” said Alderman Wells Greeley.
Revamping the restrooms is just phase one of Waynesville’s plan to improve its recreation park. The next step is an overhaul of the town’s tennis courts.
The current six tennis courts have fallen into disrepair and have “severe cracks,” according to a summary of the project. The town will spend about $200,000 reconstructing the courts. The board chose not to resurface them after being advised that it was only a temporary fix and the cracks would return later. Two new courts will also be constructed for an additional $75,000.
Having eight tennis courts in total will allow the Waynesville Tennis Association to host tournaments.
The design for the restrooms and tennis courts was the last of several expenses the town board approved at its July 24 meeting. The town also plans to purchase a boom mower for nearly $103,000 as well as a bucket truck for town electrical crews and garbage truck for about $340,000 for both. The board also plans to purchase a new fire truck next year. It is currently unknown how much the truck will cost.
