A plan to force bars, theaters and stadiums to build more women’s bathrooms would flush millions of dollars down the drain, critics said yesterday.
The so-called “potty parity” bill, introduced in the City Council last year, would require any future “places of assembly” – such as arenas, auditoriums, theaters, museums and stadiums and bars – to build two women’s bathrooms for every men’s bathroom.
Existing places would have to “redesignate” their bathrooms – so if a bar has three bathrooms for women and three for men, it would have to convert four for the ladies and two for the gentlemen.
“This could cost tens of millions of dollars,” New York Nightlife Association lawyer Rob Bookman told the council Committee on Housing and Buildings at a hearing yesterday.
Bookman argued that the legislation shouldn’t apply to bars – just places where people tend to head to the restroom at the same time, such as a play or a sporting event.
“This should be geared toward places where there’s a break in the action and everybody goes to the bathroom at the same time,” Bookman said. “This is not a problem in the average bar.”
Bookman also pointed out that many nightclubs have unisex bathrooms. “That’s an increasing trend,” he said.
But Councilwoman Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn), who sponsored the bill, said that hasn’t been her experience.
Clarke, who admitted she hasn’t frequented bars and clubs as often as she used to since being elected to office, said “there’s always a line.
“I think we can all agree that when you’re standing in a line there’s nothing more serious at that moment than answering that call,” she said.
But theater owners said they already try to accommodate women.
“There’s always a greater demand for ladies rooms and we try to meet that demand,” said Philip J. Smith, president of theater operator The Shubert Organization.
Smith said it’s “almost impossible” to guarantee that every woman would be able to go to the bathroom during the play’s 15-minute intermission.
While Clarke said the goal of the bill is to promote gender equality – not force businesses to shell out a lot of money for renovations.
“We’re not asking for property owners to go through any extra added expense to implement this law,” she said. “What we’re asking for is restroom equity.”
A spokesman for the Department of Buildings said the issue should be handled by revamping the city’s building codes, not through legislation.