Nearly half the bathrooms are closed at Mission Bay Park. The closure was prompted by a funding cut to balance the city budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. But now, city leadership have reached a disagreement on whether surplus funds should be used to reopen the restrooms.
A cut ballot measure freed $1.8 million in the city budget. District 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo proposed allocating some of the funds to pay for maintenance of the bathrooms. He said it would cost $540,000 to reopen and maintain them.
“We need to take care of this because it's a public health issue,” Campillo said. “It's a disservice to residents of the city of San Diego.”
But Mayor Todd Gloria rejected the proposal.
In early July, the city closed 13 of the 28 bathrooms at Mission Bay Park. The lack of facilities has caused unexpected inconveniences for visitors. Chula Vista resident Angela Rivera had to pivot when she was searching for a bathroom for her 2-and-a-half-year-old grandson.
“Sadly, we had to use an alternative, which was a tree,” she said.
Rivera is not alone. Many joggers, walkers, and playground users who come to Mission Bay Park have been forced to use the lawn and trees as a bathroom replacement.
Beyond frustration this experience may cause, Campillo expressed concern that this behavior could lead to a larger public health issue.
“What I don’t want is people getting sick swimming in the water here because someone goes into the water to use the bathroom,” he said.
In 2023, there was an uptick in hepatitis A cases in San Diego County. The disease can be fatal and is caused by exposure to fecal matter carrying the infection. While Campillo notes that a resurgence in hepatitis A is a worse case scenario, he said that providing proper handwashing stations and bathrooms can help prevent the problem.
In a statement, the mayor said he wants to keep as many public restrooms open as possible. But states the identified funding would not be a sufficient long-term solution to support the staffing, maintenance, and operational costs the bathrooms require.
The mayor said the city will continue to evaluate potential options to reopen the restrooms. In the meantime, the city continues to operate 15 public restrooms at Mission Bay Park.
