THE WOODLANDS – There’s a battle against where to put bathrooms in The Woodlands.
The Township Board of Directors voted to add bathrooms at the Capstone and Sundance Parks. However, several people are against the proposal for the Capstone plan.
“I don’t want to look at a toilet. I do not want to see the back of a toilet,” said Ann Perry.
Perry created a Change.org petition, which has over 500 signatures, citing “increased park activity, traffic, and parking issues,” as the reason against the addition.
“Residents are concerned that the restrooms, which will be open from sunrise to about 11 p.m. each day, will attract increased activity at the park and will impede their privacy due to increased lighting and noise,” the petition said. “Additionally, there are concerns of reduced home values for those homes that are closest.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Perry told KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun. “This is not something we need. We’ve never had it.”
The board of directors approved the move during a February meeting. The archived agenda says the project came after the Parks and Recreation Department completed an assessment.
“While the recommendations in these studies have guided park improvements over the last decade, the community’s demographics have continued to evolve,” the agenda said. “In response to these changes, the Parks and Recreation Department initiated a 2022 Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment to assess services and facilities for parks, pathways, trails, recreation, aquatics, and athletics on a system-wide basis, with a focus on the changing demographics of the community, including the senior population and recreational tourism.”
As a result of the assessment, the township found respondents said “safety, restrooms, and general maintenance were among the top concerns of the parks and recreation system. For restrooms, feedback addressed both the accessibility and maintenance of restrooms.”
The parks and recreation director said 384 homes in the Capstone neighborhood were sent letters about the bathroom proposal. Of them, according to the township, 45 were against it and six were in favor.
Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs was the only director to vote against the proposal after initially supporting it. She said she first supported the plan when she thought it would upgrade existing bathrooms. She is now against it after learning there aren’t bathrooms and public outcry.
“The idea of spending $300,000 on a project that the residents didn’t want seemed wrong to me,” Sekula-Gibbs said. “I had to continue to support the residents, listen to the residents, and do what they wanted.”
Sekula-Gibbs spoke to roughly a dozen residents Monday morning at the park and claimed the board could abandon its plan.
“The restrooms aren’t built yet. No trees have been cut down yet,” said Sekula-Gibbs. “I think even though the money was allocated. It could be redirected to other projects that are wanted by the residents.”
But not everyone is against the plan.
Werner Johnson, an avid tennis player, says a bathroom is necessary.
“I feel like it’s a pretty big park,” Johnson said. “You’ve got the basketball courts, the tennis courts... in the heat of summer people are sweating a lot, drinking a lot of water, you kind of need a place of relieving yourself. I think it’s a good idea.”
Perry is now calling neighbors to attend the board’s Wednesday meeting wearing red.
“We must ensure our voices are heard! We must not be silent! The board was elected to represent the Woodlands residents and it is our hard-earned tax dollars of $302,009 that they intend to use to construct bathrooms that we do not want,” Perry said.
Statement from The Woodlands Township regarding restrooms at Capstone Park:
“The Woodlands Township appreciates and respects the residents of the Capstone neighborhood and all residents of The Woodlands. A priority is to provide the highest level of amenities. The Woodlands Township initiated a comprehensive process to assist the staff and Board in determining those amenities most desired by our residents. Input was analyzed from over 2,000 resident surveys which indicated that additional park restrooms was a priority. Several area parks, including Capstone Park which has amenities such as basketball courts, tennis courts, and a pavilion were identified.
This project was initially voted on and passed by the prior board in August 2022 by a vote of 7-0. Residents were offered the opportunity to provide feedback. The current Board received comments from Capstone residents both in favor and opposed to the project. The project was approved on a 6-1 vote.”
