Some Say New Beach Restrooms Are Too Pricey

New beach restrooms that line Santa Monica beach are another "case of taxpayers feeling like their money is just being flushed away," KTLA said in a report Monday.

Renovations to seven restrooms, which began re-opening last year, cost the city close to $5 million. An eighth bathroom at 2400 Ocean Front Walk has not yet been completed, after neighbors complained about the design proposal, KTLA reported.

The upgraded facilities—including new stalls and automatic shutoff outdoor showers and foot washes, drinking fountains and bike racks— bring Santa Monica into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

They are located north and south of the pier along Ocean Front Walk and Palisades Beach Road. The news station says the last remodeled restroom will open by 2013.

Rporter Elizabeth Espinosa spoke on air with two beachgoers Monday morning. One of them, surfer Coby Gordon,  said the restrooms are "alright" but that the money could have better been spent elsewhere.

The community gave input on the design before the stalls were built, and plans were also vetted by the city's Parks and Recreation Commission and Architectural Review Board. All of the materials and fixtures were chosen for "ease of maintenance, resistance to vandalism, and durability,"  Project Manager Voneelya Simmons wrote in a memo to the City Council in April 2010.