What a relief! Fairport is finally getting a public restroom in the village
Liftbridge Lane West — once a trolley stop, then a street for cars and now a pedestrian corridor — will finally have a public restroom.
Designed to look like a mini historic train station by architect Chuck Smith with Design Works Architecture, the two-stall restroom is situated adjacent to a former Rochester, Syracuse, and Eastern Trolley Company stop, which is the new location of Lift Bridge Yarns.
Longtime resident Nancy Hessler said the movement for a Village of Fairport public restroom started over a decade ago. She devoted years of tireless advocacy to get the bathroom built.
The new facility — constructed by Loyal Nine Development — will improve the Erie canalside experience and make a difference for delivery drivers and families walking with children.
"We have an active disabled adults program in Fairport, and people need a place to 'go' while they are running, biking and enjoying our walkable town," said Hessler.
Why does Fairport need a public restroom?
The general public resorts to making do when nature calls — risking a public urination ticket or worse in places where restrooms are scarce.
"While we have other facilities like the library, a lot of places are not open at 6 a.m. Sometimes I go, "Oh shoot, I need a bathroom" and nothing is open. People stop me and ask, 'Where is the nearest restroom?' And for me to say, 'You are out of luck,' did not feel like a good enough answer," said Hessler who coined the phrase "Fairport, you can come, but you can't go."
Major cities in places around the world have found creative solutions to public restroom access and upkeep. In Paris, there are coin-operated toilets that self-clean. In Rome, cleaners tend to them.
To keep the idea at top-of-mind, Hessler would send village administration officials pictures of public restrooms from her travels, including Italy, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.
It worked. Hessler, who appeared many times before the town council over the years, said the effort took two mayoral administrations to achieve. "Former mayor Fritz May began this push, and current mayor Julie Domaratz helped finalize it," Hessler said.
"Fairport is getting a certain level of cool. We are vibrant and fresh. All of these projects lead to that happening. Folks want to get out of their car, walk around and see what is going on here in our village," said mayor Domaratz.
How have Fairport residents and visitors reacted to the news of a new public restroom?
Charlie Ross is a United States Postal Service letter carrier and delivers mail in the village. For him and his coworkers, a public restroom is like "finding a four-leaf-clover." Early on in the pandemic, the quest became even more of a challenge as restaurants, churches and other venues that would normally open their doors to the public had to temporarily close.
Letter carriers like Ross work under strict time constraints to finish their routes within a defined time period. Having a "comfort stop" within their assigned zones is essential to their work.
The restroom's "first flush" is set to happen in October of this year, said village officials.
"That central bathroom will now be a lifesaver, and do a world of good," Ross said.
What will Fairport's new public restroom offer?
The village will clean and maintain the public restroom, which will be free to the public 24/7. It will include:
Air-conditioned and heated cabins with touchless sinks and toilets
ADA compliance with changing tables for all ages
Fully electric with automatic locks
Liftbridge Lane West is the home of festivals and celebrations, and also a lounge area to sit back and enjoy what Fairport has to offer. "We re-did our canal banks, to embrace those attributes that are core to our identity. In that immediate area there is now courtyard lighting, piped-in music playing all day and night, and fire pits for the cold weather months," Bryan White, the village manager at Fairport said.
High-top bar tables, and year-round seating make bringing in your own food, drink and even open container alcohol or "BYOB" — which is permitted in that area by town law — convenient.
How much did Fairport's new public restroom cost to build?
The total cost of this construction is around $400,000 and partly funded through a state grant.
"The village needed not just restrooms, but also ADA-compliant restrooms, and this construct will be accessible to everyone," said Assemblymember Jen Lunsford. "Fairport is a great place to shop, walk — people launch their boats from there. This is a great opportunity to make Fairport a really accessible and inclusive destination on this, its 200th anniversary."
Amorette Miller is the Democrat & Chronicle's growth and development reporter. She can be found on Twitter at @amorettemiller and e-mailed at acmiller@gannett.com or call her with a related news tip at (585) 201-0867.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New public restroom in Fairport NY will be on Liftbridge Lane West
