Shop Owners Say Broken Bathrooms Could Cut Into Summer Tourism

Shop owners at the Aquinnah Cliffs say lagging repairs to the area’s infrastructure could threaten their summer businesses. 

Many worried that the public bathrooms at the Aquinnah Circle won’t be able to operate before the season’s rush due to the town neglecting to fix them in a timely manner. The shop owners brought their concerns to the select board on March 17 and also expressed disappointment in the town’s lack of communication about the project.

“[The bathrooms] are a vital part of our economic success up at the cliffs,” said Paul Manning, owner of Cliffhangers.

Shop owners were also alarmed by ongoing construction to regrade the pathway between shops and install a ramp that meets Americans with Disabilities Act stadards, saying the town failed to inform them that winter weather delayed the project and that their front entryways would be removed in the process.

“It’s just unfathomable that you could do something that involves all of the businesses up there, take apart our stairs, make it so that we cannot open our businesses when we normally do – the second and third week in April – without even notifying us,” said Martha Vanderhoop, co-owner of Hatmarcha Gifts.

The pathway between shops is currently roped off and the Cliffs overlook is also inaccessible to the public. Town administrator Jeffrey Madison said construction is scheduled to be completed on April 30.

Eric Litt, the town’s infrastructure committee chair, said the town does not have a realistic timeframe for restoration work to the bathrooms, which closed in October.

The facility, located at the bottom of the Aquinnah Circle, has rusted water tanks and plumbing that needs to be reworked, Mr. Litt said. The filtration system, he said, is meant for residential dwellings and often fails when large influxes of tourists use the bathrooms.

“The flushers are sensitive devices,” Mr. Litt said. “You get sediment into those flushers, they’re not going to seal properly, and the water will continue to flow through the toilets.” 

Select board chair Juli Vanderhoop said the town has delayed long-term fixes for the bathrooms year-after-year. She said the bathrooms should be available year-round for the benefit of everyone in town.

“If we don’t have something seven days a week, then they will be using our driveways for bathrooms or our beaches, and that is not appropriate,” Ms. Vanderhoop said.

Mr. Madison said that the bathroom’s water well tested extraordinarily high for nitrate levels, though he was unable to provide test results to the Gazette.

“This is a stumbling block that has to be addressed because it’s become a serious health concern,” Ms. Vanderhoop said at the meeting.

During an interview with the Gazette, Aquinnah health agent Marina Lent said high levels of nitrate in water can be fatal to infants, as it cuts off their oxygen supply and causes a condition referred to as blue baby syndrome.

However, Ms. Lent said short-term exposure for adults is not harmful.

“It is not an immediate health threat,” Ms. Lent said. “We need to address it though.”

Former highway supervisor Jay Smalley, who retired in January, said he worries the bathrooms won’t be up and running by summertime. Mr. Smalley, who also runs The Gay Head Store, said he brought the issue to the town in September.

“We keep dragging our feet and that’s part of the reason I left,” Mr. Smalley said.

He added that it would be difficult to hire contractors and complete renovations before the summer season.

“I don’t see the bathrooms being functional the way they stand even with a band aid,” Mr. Smalley said.

Mr. Litt said the infrastructure committee found out about the issues after the bathrooms were closed for the year in November, and has its hands tied until it hears back from service providers.

“We will continue to push but we’re not miracle workers,” Mr. Litt said. 

“It’s our top priority in town,” added select board member Tom Murphy.

Kevin Devine, chairman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) suggested looking into securing federal Indian Health Service funds to help get the bathrooms running by the summer.

“It’s affecting our tribal members that own businesses here,” Mr. Devine said. 

Shop owners said the town dropped the ball in many ways that could affect their businesses, and called for better communication.

“The decisions that are being made about that area have got to be communicated to your shop owners first,” said Kristina Hook, co-owner of Bowen’s Arrow gift shop. “This is their livelihood.”

Select board members said they heard the bathroom issue for the first time at the meeting and directed shop owners to the infrastructure committee’s meeting minutes for more information.

“We hadn’t heard the rumors that you heard,” Ms. Vanderhoop said. “I apologize for that.”

Mr. Madison said communication about the cliffs construction was lacking in-part due to snowfall. He sent photos of the construction to shop owners as soon as the snow melted and said he would prioritize better communication moving forward.

“We will try and do better,” he said.

This article appears in March 27, 2026.