Chris Cook – Forks Forum photo

The City of Forks new Tillicum Park restroom unit was placed on its concrete slab on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 24. The heavy-duty, concrete-walled  restroom, which has a men’s side and a ladies’ side, was hauled from a manufacturer in Spokane and arrived on Tuesday, Aug. 23. Pictured (from left) are City of Forks Public Works Director Dave Zellar, helping move a wood block for the crane, and, in dark blue shirt, Councilman Bruck Guckenberg; both made sure the installation went smoothly.

The restroom facility is located adjacent to the Rayonier Locomotive exhibit at Tillicum Park, along the main parking lot at the park. The location makes it easier to patrol at night by the Forks Police Department, and was placed there to help cut back on the vandalism problems that have occurred at the existing Tillicum Park restroom, which is located away from the parking lot and street.

The project cost about $50,000 with 90 percent of the funds coming from the city’s "Stadium Fund," which is funded with locally-generated visitor accommodation tax dollars collected by the State of Washington. The new restroom is scheduled to be open to the public around Labor Day. Work yet to be done includes pouring a concrete ADA compliant ramp and hooking up plumbing and electrical connections. Guckenberg told the Forks Forum that the restroom units have concrete walls and are built to be easily maintained and serviced.