Glen Arbor Township took another step Tuesday night toward establishing public toilets at the site of the former fire hall on Lake Street.

The board voted 5-0 to hire Lapham & Associates to provide architectural design and mechanical plans for the lavatory at a cost of $13,744. The move was made without bids, contrary to township policy that requires bids for any expenditure greater than $5,000.

“There’s a value of having Lapham involved in the engineering for previous studies,” Supervisor John Soderholm.

Board members agreed.

Work to be done includes drawings and plans for a drainfield that would be acceptable to the Benzie-Leelanau County Health Department and a determination as to whether there is a “sufficient location of a water source on site.”

“Absent those two items, we’re not ready to move ahead on anything,” Soderholm said.

Initial plans have placed the toilet facilities at the former fire hall and — lacking suitable soils — pumping the waste to a drainfield to be located at the township park on Ray Street. The Glen Lake Garden Club has agreed to provide landscaping and perennials for the public facilities. And the Glen Arbor/Sleeping Bear Chamber of Commerce has agreed to maintain the public lavatory for the six months it will be open.

David Marshall, a chamber member who also served on the public restroom study committee, was in attendance at Tuesday’s rescheduled monthly meeting.

“We’re very excited. There was unanimous support and 100 percent willingness to maintain the restrooms long-term,” Marshall said.

In the past, board members have been divided in their support for public restrooms. Some have held that the cost of the services should be paid by business owners — whose operations are supported by visitors — and not through public coffers.

This rift surfaced again Tuesday night. Following the approval of the nearly $14,000 expenditure, township Clerk Bonnie Quick made a motion to create a special assessment district to pay for the facility. The assessment district would include all properties zoned for commercial use.

There was a mixed reaction to her proposal.

“The people (commercial business owners) here are also township residents,” trustee Bill Thompson said. “They’re paying for it already.”

Soderholm said the entire community stands to benefit from the services.

“The value of this service is not exclusive to the businesses … To erode the business community by taking a step to increase the cost of operating … will impact negatively on the rest of the community,” he said.

The vote on the motion failed, 3-2. Quick and trustee Kent Kelly cast the “yes” votes in support of the formation of an assessment district.

Board members are hopeful that design plans and cost estimates will be available for discussion at the township Annual Meeting, traditionally held in late March.

“I’d like to think we could have it up and running by July,” Soderholm said. “We need to put this thing to bed — positively or negatively — for the last time.”