The porta potties will soon be gone at Monument Lake.

The Town of Monument had a ribbon cutting for its new, permanent restrooms at the popular recreation spot.

“For years, visitors to Monument Lake have had to rely on these porta potties,” Mayor Mitch LaKind said. “But thanks to our parks department and a grant from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Fishing is Fun Program, we now have this beautiful, permanent, ADA accessible restroom, where nature calls can finally be answered in comfort.”

The grant covered $117,000 of the $200,000 project. The restrooms will save the town $2,500 per year in rental fees for the porta potties.

“That’s what I call financial relief meeting bathroom relief,” LaKind said.

Not only were the temporary bathrooms an eyesore, but when they were serviced, the area became … aromatic. At times, the stench was so bad that Park Foreman James Schubauer said that as they were preparing the new site, he and his crew would time their breaks with the servicing to avoid the odor.

With homes just a few dozen steps to one side of the porta potties and the lake a few dozen steps on the other, the experience was unpleasant for residents and visitors alike.

The project tested the Monument’s parks staff. Schubauer explained how the sidehill orientation created challenges in leveling the site. They then created a retaining wall and a long ADA accessibility slope, which by law can’t exceed a 3% grade.

The restroom itself is concrete painted to look like rustic wood. That makes it far more resistant to vandalism and graffiti.

The restroom will be open during the days and will automatically lock at night. There are keypads on the doors, but those are only to allow staff and others (like emergency responders) to enter during closed hours.