Vandals destroyed most of the interior of the women’s restroom at Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewport just north of Depoe Bay. Now it will remain closed until at least Oct. 1. (Oregon State Parks photo)By Lincoln Chronicle staff
Repairing the vandalism to seven Oregon State Park restrooms along the coast in Lincoln County is expected to cost $100,000, the state agency announced Wednesday.
Three of the restrooms – at Fogarty Creek, Cape Foulweather and Agate Beach – were not damaged as extensively Aug. 21-22 and have been repaired and reopened, according to parks spokeswoman Lauren Wirtis.
Staff also built temporary partitions in the Devils Punchbowl restroom and have reopened that facility.
But Wirtis said that restrooms at Gleneden Beach, Rocky Creek and Boiler Bay will need “significantly more work” and are closed until at least Oct. 1. There are portable restrooms at those parks.
Wirtis said new partitions in four of the restrooms are estimated to cost $60,000 and replacing plumbing fixtures and dispensers and repairing exterior doors and locks another $15,000.
Vandals damaged the seven restrooms between Gleneden Beach and Agate Beach between late Friday, Aug. 21 and early Saturday, Aug. 22. Oregon State Police are investigating but Wirtis said there are no suspects and no information about a motive.
“While seeing this damage was so disheartening, the response from our communities reminds us how much Oregonians love their state parks and together we want to protect them,” Wirtis said in a media release.
Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals responsible for the vandalism.
State police are seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in or around the restrooms and also asking anyone with video footage from roads leading to or adjacent to the affected state parks to review their recordings for potentially relevant activity.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact state police dispatch at 800-442-0776 or by dialing *OSP* (677) from a mobile phone and reference case number SP26-274452.
Please install cameras. This is when they are useful to catch perpetrators.
A neighborhood watch might be helpful. I live near some of these places and am going to drive by when ever possible. To report things and take pictures but not to confront.
Why are there not cameras installed in the parks to catch vandals and car vandals? They are everywhere else to tag cars so why no to protect our tax dollars