At its March 7 meeting, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the contract and added costs for construction of public restrooms in Idyllwild. These facilities will be compliant with the Americans with Disability Act.
The 210-square-foot facility will be along North Circle Drive in front of the Mile Hi Plaza and is within the Idyllwild Historic Preservation District (IHPD). The county included IHPD’s construction guidelines as part of the specification package.
The total cost, for planning, construction and installation, will be about $580,000, which is an increase of $130,000 from the original estimate.
“… current lead times equate to construction completion in December 2023.” estimated Erik Sydow, principal development specialist with the county’s Office of Economic Development. “The building itself has a seriously long lead time and includes design, approvals, Idyllwild historic review, construction, shipping and placement.
“For a majority of the year, the public may not see much work, but that is due to the fact that the project is being built off-site,” Sydow added. “On-site work will include asphalt, concrete, utility connections and the building pad.”
The construction contract was awarded to Reed Family Enterprises of Temecula. Reed submitted the lowest ($435,000) of eight bids. The seven other bids ranged from $500,000 to $687,000.
The funds for the project will come from the American Rescue Plan Act.
In March, describing the project to the board, Michael Franklin of the county’s Office of Economic Development said, “The project came about initially from the unincorporated community as an initiative — the number one request coming out of the community of Idyllwild and also a constant request from visitors to that region.”
Ashley and Shane Stewart provided the location, the county supplied the planning and construction funds and the Idyllwild Community Center will be responsible for the maintenance.
“While it fosters tourism,” Franklin added, “it provides restrooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the town’s historic district.”
