There害羞草研究所檚 no relief in sight for ballplayers at Layritz Park in Victoria.
Since the washroom facilities at the park were closed a couple years ago, the players using the half-dozen ball diamonds at Layritz have had to make the trek along a trail through the bush to the new washrooms put in at the Prospect Lake soccer pitch.
害羞草研究所淲e have kids from the age of three and four all the way up to teenage years,害羞草研究所� said Mark Ward, who coached at Layritz from 1988 to 2014. 害羞草研究所淎 lot of them don害羞草研究所檛 bother going to that washroom. They pee in the bushes.害羞草研究所�
Ward said it isn害羞草研究所檛 so much a question of distance, as the Prospect Lake washrooms are only a couple hundred metres from the diamonds, but more of a safety issue, as the children have to travel along a trail in a wooded area and would be outside the view of their parents.
Gary Darrah, manager of Saanich Parks planning and development, said the washrooms were closed due to concerns with the septic system.
害羞草研究所淭hat septic system in there must have been at least 40 years old, our maintenance guys reckoned, and it had just stopped functioning,害羞草研究所� said Darrah.
Compounding the situation was the proximity of a nearby grove of Garry oaks.
害羞草研究所淸Replacing the septic field] would have meant quite a bit of disturbance, in fact we probably would have lost some Garry oaks. We were reluctant to do that, given that we were working with the Prospect Lake soccer folks on a better alternative.害羞草研究所�
Complicating matters is the , meaning while the Prospect Lake facility is connected to sewer, facilities on the other side of the park are not allowed to hook up to the municipal system.
Shannon Nakatsu, acting president of Layritz Little League, said she has heard an earful from parents and other visitors about the lack of access to washrooms.
害羞草研究所淧arents can害羞草研究所檛 just let their kids walk off to the bathroom,害羞草研究所� said Nakatsu. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e completely invisible to the naked eye from any ballfield. They害羞草研究所檙e in behind trees. That害羞草研究所檚 the bigger issue than the distance.害羞草研究所�
While porta-potties have been brought in to the park, she said those aren害羞草研究所檛 accessible for people with mobility challenge. And youngsters aren害羞草研究所檛 the only ones unable to make the long trek to the Prospect Lake facilities.
害羞草研究所淲e saw an older lady walking up to the washrooms that had been existence all those years,害羞草研究所� Nakatsu recalled. 害羞草研究所淪he didn害羞草研究所檛 have the time, or didn害羞草研究所檛 know to go to Prospect Lake, and she ended up squatting in the bush.害羞草研究所�
It害羞草研究所檚 a situation that害羞草研究所檚 unlikely to change, as Darrah said there are no plans to construct a new washroom at Layritz.
害羞草研究所淚f we were to try and provide clear sight lines to every single washroom building in every single one of our parks, it害羞草研究所檚 just not feasible,害羞草研究所� he said, adding the district is currently undertaking a washroom strategy for the entire park system.
害羞草研究所淧robably washroom buildings are the No. 1 amenity that the public tend to request. But it害羞草研究所檚 not feasible to put a washroom in every park,害羞草研究所� said Darrah, who didn害羞草研究所檛 want to put a pricetag on the cost of a new washroom.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 even want to guess, because if I give you a number that害羞草研究所檚 the number you害羞草研究所檒l remember. Let害羞草研究所檚 just say they害羞草研究所檙e probably more expensive than people think.害羞草研究所�
Additional ports-potties will be brought in when .
