
A decision on whether to close the restrooms at the foot of Brighton Avenue permanently from midnight to 6:30 a.m. could come as early as this week. The city began closing the restrooms at night on a 30-day trial basis in mid-April. But the Park and Recreation Department and District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer wanted 30 more days to get a better idea of how closing the restrooms would affect holiday and summer users, said Faulconer staffers. Public restrooms at the Ocean Beach shore have traditionally had 24-hour availability. That’s been the case since the opening of the Brighton Avenue comfort station nearly a year ago. The restrooms they replaced, as well as the restrooms to the south at the Ocean Beach Lifeguard Station, have been open 24 hours a day. Some community leaders and business owners — notably members of the Ocean Beach Town Council and Ocean Beach MainStreet Association — favor closing the Brighton Street restrooms at night to discourage homeless activity and vandalism. On the other hand, Park and Recreation Department officials favor 24-hour availability, said staff members for Faulconer. During the first 30-day trial period, evidence indicated people were relieving themselves outside the building when it was closed, but there was no vandalism, said Faulconer’s representatives. The city contracts with a private security firm to close the restrooms, according to staffers. Clay Bingham, deputy director of the Park and Recreation Department whose jurisdiction includes Ocean Beach, did not respond to emails or return phone calls for this story.