San Diego releases list of dozens of beach, park bathrooms that may close to save $1.7M

When you gotta go, you gotta go, but, next year, that might get more difficult at San Diego's beaches and in at least some of its parks.

Of the city's $258 million shortfall projected for next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, it expects to be able to save $1,681,673 by closing the bathrooms in some of San Diego's most iconic locations during November through March, according to city spokesman Benny Cartwright, who concedes that the region has "year-round outdoor weather, but there is a much busier summer season."

The city is planning on "reductions" — either layoffs or not filling job vacancies — of 13 full-time positions, that is, the city workers who maintain the bathrooms, whether those are Port-a-Potties or "comfort stations"; five of those would be workers at Balboa Park, and the other 8 from the waterfront areas, Cartright said.

The city, in its draft budget document, acknowledges concerns about the changes: "Draft Budget also includes multiple adjustments that will impact the department's ability to address various [Tactical Equity Plan] Goals. This includes Goal #1, with reductions to the department's security and maintenance budget, which will impact the objective of being able to provide a clean, safe and well-maintained parks."

Of San Diego's 15 "comfort stations" and Port-a-Potties sited in shoreline parks or at beaches, five will be affected: 

• La Jolla Shores: Kellogg Park (the playground in the south of the beach area)
• La Jolla: Children's Pool (4 of 8 stalls)
• Mission Beach: Ventura Place (on the north end of Belmont Park)
• Pacific Beach: Law Street
• Pacific Beach: Pacific Beach Drive (near the World Famous restaurant)

Mission Bay Park, a 20-plus mile loop, is the site of 28 restrooms, 13 of which will be shuttered for about half the year:

• De Anza North
• Playa II
• Tecolote North
• Fiesta Island Youth Camp
• Hospitality Point
• Ventura
• Bonita East
• El Carmel 
• Crown Point South
• Ski Beach North
• Ski Beach Middle
• Vacation Isle West

"In addition, 7 of the 14 portable restrooms at Fiesta Island will also be closed," NBC 7 was told by Cartwright, who added on Tuesday afternoon that 7 bathrooms in Balboa Park would also be closed from November to March as well. He said that no restrooms in community parks would be affected.

The good news for those rushing for relief is that there are other facilities relatively nearby. So, for example, if you are posted up at the beach near Law Street, you can reach other restrooms at Tourmaline Beach to the north or at Diamond Street to the south. One concern, of course, is what will people do if they don't feel like walking or find out too late about the closure? Also, there are also critics who worry about the fact that the bathrooms that are open could be overcrowded with homeless who will congregate nearby. 

THE LOOMING BUDGET SHORTFALL

On April 21, San Diego mayor Todd Gloria presented a "draft" city budget for Fiscal Year 2026 to the city council that includes $157 million in new revenue partly composed of increased fees, but also cuts to libraries and recreation centers. 

Gloria's proposed $6.04 billion budget is actually an increase of $223.1 million over FY 2025, with the approximately $1.7 million bathroom budget cuts representing 0.028% of the annual budget. The cuts to restrooms are about 0.65% of the projected shortfall.

In total, Gloria proposes cutting 393 positions — 160 of which are currently filled — and transferring many of these employees to other departments. The draft budget proposes $175.9 million in layoffs and the elimination of unfilled vacancies across all city departments.

The city's parks & rec department appears to be bearing the brunt of the budget knife, with "reductions" of about 170 full-time employees, a figure offset by the addition of 20 or so new full-time employees in other areas in parks & rec.

And who will clean the restrooms during the six months they are open?

"During the 'on-season,' staff will work with whatever resources they have to maintain the comfort stations, understanding there will be a reduction in staff," Cartwright told NBC 7 on Wednesday.

FATAL HEP A OUTBREAK

It's likely the city approached the concept of closing restrooms gingerly. Last time San Diego had a bathroom shortage, people died. According to the county health department, a Hepatitis A outbreak that investigators identified in March 2017 resulted in 592 cases and, by the time the county says the emergency ended the following January, 20 deaths. 

In the wake of that outbreak, the city of San Diego installed new bathrooms in the East Village in October 2017 to help curb the spread of the virus. That area had a high concentration of transients, and the city's restroom facilities were maintained at least twice a day, and will be monitored by full-time security, the city said, bringing to 22 the number of public restroom facilities in downtown San Diego. 

It's a topic with consequences dire enough that, in the 2026 draft budget, Gloria is proposing to add to the total number of restrooms downtown, where there are large numbers of homeless.

None of these moves are set in stone yet, of course, and all of "...  this could all change as the budget goes through the process and the public and council make their voices heard," Cartwright said. 

The city council, serving as the Budget Review Committee, will hold a series of hearings from May 5-9. Following that, Gloria will release his revised, official budget proposal on May 14, which will be adopted some time in June once it's finalized.