City under pressure to relieve bathroom situation

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 20, 2026

Business people in Langley think the limited public restroom hours really stink.

Alexa Allamano, the chair of the Langley Chamber of Commerce, brought up the toilet problems during a Langley City Council meeting Monday. She said she represented a dozen business owners who strongly disapprove of the reduced hours of the city’s restrooms, which are located next to the Langley Chamber of Commerce office on Anthes Avenue.

In January, the city announced that problems with vandalism in the restrooms led to a decision to keep the doors locked for longer hours. They are now open 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. Previously, the restrooms were open every day at 5:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.

“The fact that they are closed entirely on Sunday is absolutely unacceptable. We are losing business and you are losing tax revenue because of this,” Allamano said, adding that the problem will only get worse during the busy tourism season.

Allamano pointed out that the businesses work hard to deliver memorable experiences for guests in the town.

“You make that harder for us, your tax generators, when you leave our guests without basic amenities,” she said. “Please find a way to keep the restrooms open at a bare minimum from 11 to 5 daily.”

Later in the meeting, Councilmember Chris Carlson echoed the concerns about the bathroom situation, saying that the city needs to find a solution to keep the toilets accessible consistent hours and on weekends.

“This weekend my family was downtown on Sunday and we had a bathroom emergency and it was problematic,” he said. “So I can only imagine this summer when we’re swarmed with visitors that we need a solution.”

Allamano said the chamber is willing to install a security camera on the visitor center but added that the cost of monitoring should be borne by the city. Also, businesses have offered other solutions, such as installing keypad code entries or having a shared key arrangement.

There are “ambassador businesses” willing to give people access to private facilities, but Allamano questioned how they could be compensated for a dramatic uptick in water bills.

“Why should we bear the burden of solving this issue for the city?” she asked rhetorically.