ALLENTOWN, Pa. (WLVT) - The Allentown Parks and Rec Department is closing public bathrooms at several of its parks because of vandalism, starting Saturday, June 29.
"Porcelain sinks have been shattered to the point there are holes in them," said Allentown Parks and Recreation Program Specialist, Ryan Griffiths. "Toilets have been broken. Paper towel dispensers have been completely ripped off the walls. Electrical outlets and covers have been damaged."
Griffiths said those damages have costed the city more than $10,000. "Those pieces of equipment would need to be replaced to use a bathroom properly, but those issues come with a dollar tag to it," said Griffiths. "Those dollars, obviously with our city budget, is city taxpayer dollars that would replace those items.”
"It's a shame, because the Allentown public parks system is wonderful," said Allentown Resident Paul Pearson. He's lived in the city for 40 years. He visits the parks often with his dog, and he said he hopes the city can come up with a plan to reopen the bathrooms one day. "I’m all for it, even if it makes us pay more in tax dollars," said Pearson. "That’s part of what makes this thing so nice.”
The following parks in Allentown will be affected, starting Saturday, June 29: Canal, Jordan, Keck, Percy Ruhe, Roosevelt, and Trout Creek. The bathrooms will only be open if you reserve the venue through the city; otherwise, it will be closed to the general public. "We don't want to have to do that," said Griffiths. He said this is the only option for now, because the money spent on maintenance could be used for improvement projects.
City officials said you can help by downloading the Allentown 311 app on your phone to help report acts of vandalism. So far, Parks and Rec said there is no time frame on when the bathrooms may reopen, so right now, they are working on ways to increase security and track down where the damage is coming from.
