Virginia Park Restrooms Damaged Again by Vandals

Kern County authorities have been forced to close the bathrooms at Virginia Park due to the extreme amount of damage caused there by vandals. In spite of the fact that the facilities were locked, Kern County Park Rangers say someone used power tools to cut the locks inside the utility room as well, damage the doors and the plumbing and steal the cleaning supplies stored there.

Rangers said the damage was so extensive that the restrooms were rendered completely unusable and deemed to be a safety hazard.

Recently, Kern County spent nearly $30,000 to repair the Virginia Park restrooms from previous damage and vandalism and were forced to keep the facility closed for an extended period of time. That expenditure is in addition to the $24,000 spent annually on custodial maintenance and another $13,000 for security.

In the next two years, Kern County administrators have allocated nearly one and a half million dollars to upgrade the facility, including a new play structure, resurfacing, shading and a new restroom building.

Kern County Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Alsop weighs in on the incident.  Hear the story here.

– Tony Lee and Jeff Lemucchi contributed to this story