The need for new bathrooms at Mission San Juan Bautista has been
transformed into an opportunity to re-create the historic
building’s exterior as it initially appeared.
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
The need for new bathrooms at Mission San Juan Bautista has been transformed into an opportunity to re-create the historic building’s exterior as it initially appeared.
Under the vision of Rev. Edward Fitz-Henry, the mission’s pastor, architect David Huboi designed the bathrooms to replicate the guard tower that had once stood next to the mission. But a property line that bisects the land where the bathrooms were envisioned nearly permanently halted the plans.
In August, Huboi discovered after looking at property maps that part of the land – which exists within the mission’s walls – actually belongs to the City of San Juan Bautista. Moreover, part of Second Street is actually the mission’s property.
To address it, the city council Tuesday approved a simple swap of the two parcels. The two pieces of traded properties were appraised and found to be of a similar value so the exchange could take place.
“Basically, they’re both worthless. There’s a street on one of them, and the other is behind the mission wall,” said City Manager Jan McClintock of the trade.
Once the paperwork is completed, the Second Street land will become the city’s property, and the parcel needed to build the bathrooms will go to the mission.
Now that the land problem is solved, plans for the bathroom project are progressing.
The pastor said he hopes to have the plans out to bid soon and break ground on the project by June.
The idea of building new bathrooms had been in the planning stages for “decades,” Fitz-Henry said. He had previously been at the Mission, but left for a period of time before returning in August.
“When I came back, I realized this is the golden opportunity to not just put the bathrooms in, but to maintain the history as well,” Fitz-Henry said.
Initially, the idea had been to create a design that was unobtrusive to the existing architectural structure.
It was Fitz-Henry’s idea, however, to rebuild the guard tower that had existed when the mission was first built in the 1700s. This tower, which overlooked the courtyard, had come down in the 1820s.
“It was his vision to use the opportunity to make a statement and utilize the time to recreate the old guards tower that was there prior,” said Huboi, the architect.
The bathrooms will be built as an extension of the mission building toward Second Street. In building them adjacent to the existing building, the bathrooms will serve as a brace, strengthening the missions walls, which were weakened in the 1906 earthquake, Fitz-Henry said.
“It’s going to restore what was there, stabilize what is there and there will be beautiful bathrooms – that’s probably the most important part,” he said.
Huboi said he was excited about the opportunity to build something historically accurate.
“It’s been an opportunity to do some research and read about the mission,” Huboi said. “When you come and look at it, I want it to look old. Old buildings are not as straight as modern buildings. It’s a beautiful part and adds character.”
The building will be built with two stories – as the tower was. Fitz-Henry said the plan is to have sleeping quarters in the upstairs for an “Artist-in-Residence” to stay at.
The bathrooms will be built so that they are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The existing bathrooms were built for the religious education classrooms in the 1960s and were never meant to serve the general public, Fitz-Henry said.
The mission’s parishioners in particular have been waiting for the new bathrooms “for years.” But Fitz-Henry said the bathrooms are also needed by the thousands of fourth-graders who visit the mission each year and all other visitors to the historic Mission City.
“It’s a benefit to the community,” Huboi said.
