By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward Bureau
WAIMANALO — More than 30 years ago, Waimanalo had thousands of horses and a web of riding trails that spanned the community from the beaches to the mountains.
Today, the number of trails and horses is dwindling, but a group of equestrians offered an idea in hopes it will ensure that this heritage stays alive and that Waimanalo will remain a place where horses and riders are welcome.
"We want to create more trails that link all the horse ranches and connect the parks," said Joseph Correa, a member of the Honolulu vision team working on the proposal. "We want all of the parks in Waimanalo to have trails around them."
At the center of this vision would be a park, preferably one with lots of land and already used for livestock, Correa said. The park would accommodate trailers, campers, picnics, hikers and mountain bikes. Hunters would be limited and motorcycles banned. Trails from the park would lead to both ends of Waimanalo and its parks, Maunawili Valley, Mount Olomana, Kailua and Kane‘ohe. The project would be financed with city vision team money.
"Recreation is the key," Correa said, adding that by promoting horseback riding, Waimanalo will preserve its open spaces. "We want to see Waimanalo used more for recreational activities for the entire state, even for tourists."
Last night, a consultant, Joel Kurokawa of Hawaii Design, presented a list of eight possible sites for a Waimanalo Equestrian Park. The sites include Waimanalo Polo Field, Meadow Gold Farm on Waikupanaha Street and Camp Olomana .
About 25 people, including horse owners, hunters and ranch owners, attended the meeting at Camp Olomana.
Kaeo Perez, a pig hunter, said he was concerned about a possible conflict among hunters, dogs and horses.
But Correa said hunters’ concerns as well as those of others, such as environmentalists, will be heard. He invited people to participate in the next meeting at 7 p.m. March 7 at Camp Olomana.
Of the eight sites, Correa said, the best and perhaps least expensive for the city would be the Meadow Gold Farm, which is being leased from the state but may be returned soon. The property has 300 to 400 acres and is already connected to an old government road that leads to Maunawili Valley.
Lita Cook, a founding member of the Hawai‘i Equestrian Trail Association, said a trail system is necessary to keep the equestrian community alive. Horses and riders have been slowly pushed aside because of increasing urbanization and more and more cars, she said.
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