The China Mail - Spending a penny: Uproar over LA plan for $1 mn toilet

Officials last year approved a scheme to build a bathroom with two stalls at the entrance to the city's popular Runyon Canyon hiking trail at a cost of $960,000.

But people living nearby say the eye-watering price tag seems almost corrupt in a city that had to slash its fire department budget last year.

It is "an epic waste of money," park neighbor Shira Scott Astrof told the local ABC affiliate.

Scott Weil of the Runyon Canyon Guardians, an action group of nearby residents, said he had found a supplier who would fit the same two-stall unit for half the price.

"How does a city that is broke... have $500,000 extra dollars?" he said.

The 160-acre (65-hectare) park sits a stone's throw from the famed Hollywood sign, attracting thousands of hikers, dog walkers and tourists every day.

It is not uncommon to see celebrities climbing the hillside trails, which offer fantastic views of the sprawl of Los Angeles.

A spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the park, which is currently served by some scruffy -- and often smelly -- porta potties, welcomes two million people a year.

"A project to install a prefabricated restroom at the front of the park... was approved by the (Recreation and Parks) Board last year after community outreach," a statement said.

"The City of Los Angeles is committed to ensuring all of LA’s parks are safe, clean, accessible, and enjoyable for Angelenos and visitors alike."

The office did not immediately respond to AFP requests to explain the price.

In 2022 San Francisco made global headlines after approving a plan to spend $1.7 million on a public toilet.

A public backlash led to a rethink and the final project cost $200,000.

O.Tse--ThChM