The bathrooms at the George Wolfberg Park, which are accessible to seniors have been closed since the January Palisades Fire, although the Park has been open to hikers.
Although the Wolfberg Park is open for hikers after the Palisades Fire, the bathrooms are not – and this not the first time. There is no timeline when the only ADA restrooms in the park and at the Recreation Center will be reopened.
Two state-of-the-art bathrooms were installed at the base of the George Wolfberg Park before the park’s opening in 2022. The EXELOO models are self-cleaning have automated toilet-paper dispensers with a limit on how much is dispensed and even had “mood-setting” music.
A door shuts after 30 uses, then a nozzle near the floor will spray out disinfectant water, followed by a gust of air whooshing out to blast the floor dry. In several 2019 stories about the bathrooms, the cost for two restrooms was given as $185,000, which was said to be a slightly higher fee than a standard restroom.
Self-cleaning bathrooms are state-of-the-art in the George Wolfberg park – but not working.
In July 2023, they were closed for more than a month, because as Rec and Parks Public Information Officer Rose Watkins wrote “We recently were informed that there was a sewer condition causing mechanical issues with the self-cleaning restrooms. Our City partners at the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) are currently working to address the issue. In the meantime, portable restrooms (including an ADA restroom) are being provided until the self-cleaning restrooms are reopened.”
In mid-October 2025, resident Cindy Simon went for a hike in the Canyon, and the bathrooms were closed. She wrote October 23 to RAP General Manager Jimmy Kim, “Why has there been zero progress in fixing the ‘wildly expensive fancy music playing self-talking’ bathrooms in Potrero Canyon, which have been inoperable the entire year? We deserve clean bathrooms that work WITHIN the park, and the porta potties that are spilled around the outside parking lot are
unacceptable.”
Kim replied, “Our electrician discovered recently that the electronic circuit board, which controls the restroom’s operations was damaged by the fire. It was discovered after getting electricity to the restroom. They are working with the company to get a replacement circuit board to make the repairs as soon as possible.”
As Simon astutely pointed out, “I’m surprised that your electrician ‘recently’ discovered the electrical board was damaged in a fire [Palisades Fire, January 7] which took place 10 months ago.
“May I respectfully suggest that the next time your department selects bathrooms for a park, that they stick to a basic, easy to operate unit which everyone would appreciate,” Simon said. “No one I know was expecting such a high maintenance over-the-top sound system and gadgets bathroom – not sure why, where or from whom that ‘need’ came from.”
Potrero Canyon looks like it was redesigned by an East German border guard! The 113 property holder along the canyon rim who petitioned Councilmember Bonin five years ago that the fencing closed off our only escape route should Via De La Paz be blocked by fire were dead right! Now would be a GREAT opportunity to tear down rather than rebuild all the unwanted doodads that were installed in our big open space by our rejected council member. Despite costing some $33 million the park never attracted more than a few dozen dog walkers in a given day who were willing to squeeze through those narrow fenced in trails from two gates. All the wildlife that once roamed was fenced out as were those of us bordering the canyon. Let’s open her up again.