Residents Fear Bathrooms in Parks Would Draw Crime

Worried that restrooms would become harbors for illegal activities such as graffiti and drug use, several residents urged the Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Commission on Thursday to scuttle city plans for such facilities at Rimgate and Tamarisk parks.

Others, however, said that families need restrooms and that they should be added to the parks.

About 35 residents showed up for the meeting to hear the plans for improvements.

“In the original discussions, it was made sure there was no possibility of restrooms going into [Rimgate],” said Nigel Blackwell, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years.  “That was the desired and expressed will of the entire neighborhood and the association at the time the park was being constructed. I see no reason to change that."

Residents such as Richard Ingrassia, however, favor having restrooms in the park, "provided that the bathroom faces the street, is lighted and maybe has timed locks on it,”  he said.  “I can’t imagine that building a bathroom out there would attract any more undesirables that are already at that park.”

"I certainly can’t think of any parks of that size, certainly not Irvine or Mission Viejo,  that don’t have a bathroom, " Ingrassia said.

Commissioner Steve Manning, who said that there are restrooms in many city parks, called them "nothing, but a tremendous addition."

Other changes at Rimgate Park include new playground equipment and shade sails over the play areas.

People living next to Tamarisk Park also cited concerns about the proposed addition of restrooms. Access to the parks drew comment as well.

"When I moved here six years ago, [Tamarisk] was a private park that got locked at night, and being a single mom I was OK with having this big park behind my house,” Gina Anderson said. “Now there’s a lot more traffic.  There are people coming there at all hours at night and it’s within 20 feet of our backyard."

Residents say they have asked the city to lock the park gates at night to no avail.

“The city refuses to lock that gate at night and it’s a serious issue," resident Jim Richert said.

Residents seemed to be split on the restroom issue.

Sharon Holmes said she's seen people "using the bushes for the restroom” and would like to see permanent facilities there.  Leif Ranestad favored asking teams that practice in the park to supply portable toilets.

Residents were in unison, however, when it came to moving the proposed baseball field deeper into the park, which would make way for a new parking area.

“To me it sounds like there is no big opposition to the field," said commissioner Steve Manning, "which is great and sticking it in the back corner makes all the sense in the world as it really keeps a big percentage of that park open as it is now and does add another sports facility.”

Parks commissioners said plans for the two parks would be revised and discussed at the panel's April 21 meeting.

“I believe that this plan was generated based on input that we’ve received at a workshop on the community,” said commissioner Amanda Morrell. “I wouldn’t be opposed to having two alternatives  ... and see if we can truly build a consensus by taking some of the components we’ve heard today and building a couple of more plans.”

Doug Grove of RHA Landscape Architects, the firm hired to draw up plans for the reconfigured parks, addressed the residents' concerns.

“What we’ve tried to do from the first meeting was push the ball field further away from the houses and parking lot and still maintain that orientation," Grove said, "but based from what I heard tonight, I have no problem with putting it in that corner.  It’s the second best orientation, so we’ll be glad to do that."

"There’s still a lot of room for comments and changes,” Grove said.