Businessman renews call for public toilets on Bridge Street for summer visitors

Spring is in the air and a Bridge Street business person’s fancy turns to … well, public bathrooms.

Dory owner Jack Kiffer this week renewed his annual call for the town to provide toilets for summer visitors on Bridge Street.

At Tuesday’s Town Board work session, he told the board he’d rather see the town give up a parking spot on the congested street to make room for a pair of Port-o-Sans than have to “alienate the people I alienate” again this summer by telling them they can’t use bathrooms at his waterside bar and restaurant.

Mr. Kiffer said he turns away “80 to 90 people” — he did not indicate the time frame — because his private septic system can’t handle any more users because it is so close to groundwater.

Councilwoman Chris Lewis said she had talked two years ago to Bridge Street businesspeople who were going to get back to her about possible locations but never did. She said Volunteer Park was “out” as a location.

Board members discussed the possibility of locating two portable toilets in a parking spot adjacent to the entrance to the town dock at the east end of Bridge Street.

Mr. Kiffer agreed to Councilman Ed Brown’s request that he get other Bridge Street businesspeople “on board.