ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) – The City of Fort Wayne is pushing back after Indiana denied a variance for its planned downtown Portland Loo public restroom.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) rejected it, saying that the city was not specific enough about which codes would need to be overseen and that they had not demonstrated protection to the public’s health, and denied the variance request for a Portland Loo last week.
City officials submitted a ‘Response to the Proposed Order of Denial’ on Wednesday, disputing concerns raised by state regulators and the Allen County Building Department that led to the denial. Fort Wayne claimed that the restroom’s code compliance issues are minor and that the restroom does not pose a threat to public safety.
They also rebutted objections from Joseph Hutter, Allen County’s Building Commissioner, who opposed the variance and raised concerns about occupancy classification, sanitation, and potential code precedent. The city argues the facility would improve public health and sanitation while addressing an urgent need for accessible public restrooms…