Relief is coming to Oak Harbor’s Flintstone Park in the form of bright-and-shiny Portland loos.

Last week, there was yet another act of vandalism and extensive damage to the current public bathrooms at the Bayshore Drive park. During a council workshop meeting Wednesday, Project Manager Brett Arvidson said the city is not spending any more money to repair them. For now, the park is relying on port-a-potties.

“We’ve had a long history of vandalism and bad behavior down there,” Arvidson said. “So the Portland loos are a much more efficient solution for that.”

The loos are utilitarian, steel public restrooms designed to prevent vandalism and other criminal activity. The city purchased several of the loos to be placed in both Windjammer and Flintstone parks.

The project will involve demolishing the old restrooms and installing new water and sewer connections and electrical service, as well as relocating the video camera system. The loos will be located 35 feet to the east of the existing restrooms. The doors will be pointed to the north to avoid problems with heavy winds, as there have been with the doors of the loos at Windjammer Park, city officials said. The estimated cost of the project is $75,000.

At the meeting, Councilmember Jim Woessner brought up a concern about people in wheelchairs being able to access the bathrooms as there is no ramp where the new loos will be located. Arvidson said a curb cut could be put there.

Councilmember Dan Evans was concerned about the aesthetics of leaving the concrete slab of the old bathrooms after they’re torn down.

“I don’t think that’ll look very attractive for our waterfront park,” Evans said.

Arvidson said it would cost an additional $10,000 to $20,000 to remove the slab. City Engineer Alex Warner said that the removal of the slab would bring the project over budget.

“We got directions from council that this project was not going to be given an additional $25,000,” Warner said.

Evans said that if the project needed more money after the bid comes in and the cost is over $75,000, it can be discussed further.

Construction is planned to start in September and be finished in December of this year.

City Administrator Blaine Oborn also announced that the dock installation in Flintstone Park has been delayed until mid-July.