The complaints about public urination and unsanitary conditions at the recently closed restrooms at Mission Bay came from residents, the Mission Bay Park Committee and councilmembers from the other side of town.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and City Councilmember Jen Campbell responded to those concerns, Wednesday announcing that 13 of the restrooms that were closed because the city couldn’t afford maintenance and upkeep will be reopened.
“This was an extremely difficult budget year for the city of San Diego,” Gloria said during an Aug 12 news conference. “…Balancing the budget required significant reductions across all city departments. Closing these public restrooms were among the difficult choices we were forced to make to balance the budget.”
The mayor added, “I understand the frustration that this has caused. I share in that frustration.”
Gloria said that a higher-than-expected state grant can now be used to reopen 13 restrooms along Mission Bay and keep them open through the end of 2026.
“This does solve our immediate problem,” he said, while reiterating his long push for increased revenues such as a higher sales tax. “It does not solve the gap between the resources it takes to keep city services at the service levels that San Diegans expect. Ongoing city services require ongoing funding.”
The announcement comes after a month of complaints from residents and others about rampant public urination and potential public health issues.
“Bathrooms should be open at beaches,” reads an Aug. 11 complaint on Get It Done, the city’s app for reporting community issues, about the shuttered restrooms. ” What is wrong with you people? We won’t be ‘America’s Finest City’ for long. It will become a public health crisis before long!”
On Aug. 4, the Mission Bay Park Committee also weighed in.
“Some of the park’s comfort stations may be closed, but those areas are still in use by the public,” reads a letter from the committee to Gloria. “The result of these closures is public urination, lack of sanitation, and negative impact to disabled, elderly and young children who cannot easily travel the additional distance to access comfort stations that remain open to the public.”
Councilmembers in districts at the other end of the city also derided the decision to close the Mission Bay restrooms.
“I have been pushing hard against this public health issue alongside community leaders and local medical professionals since it was proposed,” Councilmember Raul Campillo, who has expressed interest in running for mayor in 2028, said in a statement.
“I’m proud that my advocacy, along with that of tens of thousands of San Diegans on this important issue, finally got through to the Mayor, and much-needed relief is coming to our community. I thank him for hearing what San Diegans have been asking for and delivering today.”
He added, though, that, even with the restrooms soon to re-open, “the job is not done.”
“They must be monitored and maintained,” Campillo said, “and I will continue to advocate for a cleaner, safer, more welcoming San Diego for everyone.”
