Stonington — Borough officials are exploring alternatives to the controversial public bathrooms planned for Wadawanuck Square including asking merchants and organizations if they are interested in being paid to host public restrooms.

In a July 20 letter obtained by The Day, addressed to local businesses, nonprofits and churches, Borough Warden Michael Schefers said they were looking at all alternatives to the proposed and partially funded “comfort station.”

The letter suggested a potential payment of between $20,000 and $30,000 per year, assistance with capital expenditures, and covering additional insurance costs for parties willing to allow public use of their restrooms. The restrooms would be open daily from approximately 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with potentially shorter hours during the winter.

“We did not obligate ourselves in any way in the letter. These are just talking points we would need to discuss,” Schefers said Wednesday.

He said the letter was in response to resident feedback on the proposed restrooms.

At the July Board of Warden and Burgesses meeting, residents pushed back against the project, arguing that many alternate possibilities had not been thoroughly vetted. Suggestions included posting signs directing people to Borough Hall for public restrooms, renting higher quality portable restrooms, and paying local merchants to offer their restrooms for public use.

“There was a comment from the public saying, ‘have you pursued other alternatives?’ and I think the answer was ‘no,’ but we would be open to that,” Schefers said.

Burgess Kevin Rogers, comfort station committee secretary, said Thursday the committee was formed in 2021 to find a location for public restrooms. The task had three restrictions: be on borough-owned property, outside the flood zone and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

So, alternatives, such as paying merchants or nonprofits to host public restrooms, were not considered, Rogers said.

Rogers said he has received some responses to the letter, and one expressed interest. He declined to identify the party.

The $400,000 plan, developed by local architect Julia Leeming, calls for placing the building with two unisex restrooms and baby changing tables, a water bottle filling station, and a maintenance room, behind Stonington Free Library at the north end of the square. The facility would be designed to blend in with St. Mary Church, the library and the post office across the street.

The site met the restrictions, being borough owned and outside the flood plain. Placing the facility in a floodplain would be cost prohibitive, requiring an elevated building and a handicapped access ramp 108 feet long, Rogers said.

In May, town residents approved a 2023-24 town budget, which included $50,000 toward the construction of the project.

The borough has allocated $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the project and the Stonington Garden Club and Stonington Village Improvement Association have raised approximately $66,000 in donations and pledges to fund the proposed comfort station.

On Thursday, Shaun Mastroianni, SVIA president, said the approximately $51,000 in donations are held in a separate restricted account, and the SVIA has an accounting of all donors and donated sums. He said the money could be returned if the project does not move forward.

Schefers said the comfort station project was still moving forward and the project architect will present plans at the Aug. 21 Board of Warden and Burgesses meeting. Additionally, state Rep. Aundre Bumgardner, D-Groton, submitted a request to the state in January for $300,000 in bonding for the project.

“We’re moving forward, but if something pops open, we’re going to think about it,” Rogers said.

Rogers noted that having a merchant or organization host the restrooms at a borough cost of $20,000 to $30,000 per year, plus capital improvements and insurance costs, would cost more over 10 years than the proposed comfort station. And if the host then backed out of the arrangement, the borough would have nothing material to show for its expenditure.

Schefers said the board still has to vote on the location and pass an ordinance authorizing spending for the project, which he said would probably take place in September.

Because costs for the proposed comfort station, as well as any agreement between a merchant or nonprofit group would exceed 1% of the borough’s $1 million annual budget, the board would have to vote to approve an ordinance for the spending.

Schefers said borough residents then could petition for a public meeting on the ordinance followed by a vote to overturn the approval.