Downtown Public Restroom
In November, 2016, Damariscotta voters approved a $60,000 in bond funds to be used towards the construction of a public restroom adjacent to the municipal parking lot downtown. The Town had previously set aside $11,000 in capital reserves for the new building. Private donors have since committed to fund the balance of the cost for the building and the adjacent pedestrian walkway on Taco Alley.
Discussions on the construction of a public restroom go back to at least 1994 when the Chamber of Commerce proposed the construction of a public restroom on a Town-owned site near the current planned location. In July 2018 the Town purchased the property formerly occupied by Bruce's Barbershop, received the necessary permit approvals from the Planning Board and the CEO, and the Barbershop building was demolished.
In October 2018 the Town received bids well in excess of the $300,000 set aside for the restroom building's construction. The Board of Selectmen formally rejected all 3 bids in early November. Since then, the Town's Restroom Construction Committee, Wright-Pierce Engineers, Phelps Architects, and Town staff have been working to bring the restroom construction costs more in line with the funds available. The firm selected to do the construction, Medomak Construction, has provided a modified proposal of $374,000. In December 2018 at a special town meeting, voters approved additional funding in the amounts of $74,000 and $16,000 in contingency (Total $90,000) needed for construction. The Committee, the Engineering firm, and teh architect continue to work to see if the costs can be trimmed further.
Assuming no adjustments are made in the current cost projections, the following is the breakdown of the cost to build the new restroom:
- Land Purchase: $90,000
- Design, Engineering & Project Management: $70,000
- Building Construction: $374,000
- Misc. including legal, surveying, soil testing, & utility line modification: $13,500
- Contingency: $16,000
Project Revenue is comprised of the following:
- Private Donations: $385,200
- State Grant Funds: $17,300
- Nov 2016 Bond Issue: $60,000
- Capital Project Fund: $11,000
- Dec 2018 Special Town Meeting: $90,000
Total: $563,500
It is important to note that although the size and look of the restroom building have been changed from what was initially proposed by the architect, the building design still provides for the construction of a building that reflects teh nineteenth centurey architecture of our historic downtown and sets a standard for future private construction that may occur adjacent to the parking lot. As currently designed, the restroom will also be constructed of high quality materials that minimuze future maintenance and cleaning expense and to the greatest extent possible, reduces the opportunities for vandalism. Click HERE to view the latest sketch of the building.
Public comment is always welcome.
Please email Town Manager Matt Lutkus at [email protected].