Repairs on delapidated restroom delayed for Bennett Park





Westlake Village council members have decided to postpone improvements on a public restroom at a local park until they get feedback from nearby residents. The 35-year-old restroom at Berniece Bennett Park in the First Neighborhood area is getting decrepit.


The Cultural/Recreation Committee, overseeing the project, called for the council to make a decision at last week’s meeting after presenting three options for repairs and improvements.


The three options included repairing the structure, a complete remodel of the existing 576-square-foot building and tearing down the existing facility and starting over.


Preliminary cost estimates ranged from $91,000 to $530,000, depending on the option.


Mayor Bob Slavin said he was uncomfortable with the estimated costs and preferred a delay. "Half a million dollars is a lot of money for a restroom," Slavin said. He wanted input from the First Neighborhood Homeowners Association.


City Councilwoman Susan McSweeney works at White Oak Elementary School, which is adjacent to the park, and said she sees the restroom every day.


"The bathrooms are a disgrace to the city of Westlake Village," said McSweeney. "We conducted a park workshop and people there said that fixing the restroom is a priority." She also expressed concerns over public safety because of obscured views of the facility.


Council members agreed that the proposal should return to the agenda, possibly in December, so they can consider all options and hear feedback from residents.


––Lori Porter



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