Neighborhoods target neglected parks
| • | City, state parks get more money |
By James Gonser
Advertiser Staff Writer
As both the city and the state move forward with what are among the largest park projects ever on O'ahu, some residents believe the recreational needs of their communities are being overshadowed.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
The city plans to spend $10.6 million for major changes at Hanauma Bay despite fierce community opposition, and city officials on July 21 opened the 269-acre Central O'ahu Regional Park near Waipi'o-Gentry, featuring soccer and baseball fields on manicured lawns. But around O'ahu, residents have complained that they don't have room for teams to play in their own neighborhoods and that repairs and maintenance of small parks can be shoddy.
David Castillo of Kailua plays softball at Kanewai Field. Many of the players on his team consider the softball field one of the worst in the city because it is plagued with ruts, holes are hidden in the grass and the grass is uneven.
The state purchased the 316-acre Ka Iwi coast in May and will spend $4 million to improve parking, hiking and other recreational activities, but other state parks have been waiting years for repairs.
"I understand that Ka Iwi is a pristine coastline and they want to preserve it, but what happened to our pristine coastline?" said Wai'anae resident Georgette "Jo" Jordan, referring to Makua-Ka'ena State Park. "It is just as pretty out here. What we need are the basic things. We need to (be able to) flush... toilets."
Makua-Ka'ena State Park is a stretch of coastline running from Kaneana Cave to Ka'ena Point that is used for hiking, picnicking and shore fishing opportunities. There is a large sand beach at Keawa'ula, commonly called Yokohama, with public parking and the only comfort station for the area.
With just one maintenance person for the 778.6-acre park, Jordan said, it's all that person and others can do to help collect the garbage, much less make needed improvements. A group of Wai'anae residents volunteers at the park by holding regular beach cleanups, providing equipment and planting and watering native plants, but they can't do everything, Jordan said.
"The state doesn't even want to come out here and take out the abandoned vehicles, dumped engines or the pig carcasses," said Jordan, chairwoman of Ho'onani Mau, a nonprofit organization working to beautify the Wai'anae Coast. "Ka Iwi is a good idea to develop, but let's not forget Makua."
Dan Quinn, state parks administrator for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said it is unfair to compare the development at Ka Iwi to the needs at Makua-Ka'ena. Quinn said the money for Ka Iwi improvements comes from federal highway money and had to be used for that project as a condition for receiving it.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"It would be nice to spend that much money in all our parks statewide, but the reality is the money is not available," Quinn said. "I can understand where different communities might look around and say 'Where is our share?' but there is just not another share like that available."
O'ahu residents who use Kanewai Field in Manoa find there are many obstacles, such as bare patches in the grass, holes and mounds of dirt.
The state has 58 parks and 142 positions for people to operate them, with 20 of those positions vacant, Quinn said.
Residents have complained that facilities at other state parks, including the baseball fields at Sand Island State Park, are in terrible condition. Sand Island is heavily used by baseball leagues but lacks shade trees or enough grass to keep the dust down.
Quinn said the department is focused on a five-year project to bring all state parks up to Americans with Disabilities Act requirements rather then making major improvements. Quinn said the budget cuts in the mid-1990s created a backlog of needed repairs.
And there are repairs needed at local sports fields as well.
On July 21, the city opened Central O'ahu Regional Park, which is three times the size of Kapi'olani Park in Waikiki and twice the size of Ala Moana Beach Park.
Its first phase covers about 100 acres and includes four youth athletic fields, two baseball fields, five multi-purpose fields, two parking areas, restrooms and walking paths. A second phase of the $16.7 million project to be completed next year will include softball fields, and tennis and archery facilities. A planned third phase has an aquatics center and community center.
But at Kanewai Community Park in Manoa, soccer, rugby and softball teams compete for a piece of the same small open field.
"The Waipi'o fields are nice," said University of Hawai'i student Kui Lee while lacing up his soccer shoes Thursday. "But Waipi'o is too far for some people to use. Instead of a big park like that, the city should have improved all the parks in other areas."
Lee said there are sinkholes in the playing field at Kanewai and broken sprinkler heads could cause injuries. Some drinking fountains are broken, and benches and backstops are chained to old tires and telephone poles to prevent theft.
Kailua Neighborhood Board Chairwoman Faith Evans said she is opposed to building large parks when so many smaller city parks need repairs.
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"We are very concerned about lack of improvements in our parks," Evans said. "The small community parks need to be kept in top condition because they are heavily used."
Weeds in center field underscore the condition of the four ball fields at Sand Island Park. There is also a lack of shade trees and grass.
The city allocates $2 million a year to each of its 19 community "vision teams" and asks them to decide how to best spend city money in their areas. The 32 neighborhood boards will each get $1 million this year for the same purpose.
While some vision teams and boards may target beautification and park improvements for spending, some ignore basic maintenance for larger projects such as master plans or street repairs, Evans said.
"It is very disconcerting for us when one large park like in Waipi'o is developed, and who does it really service?" she said. "The city says the entire island, but at this point it will service that particular community. The people in that community think it is great."
City managing director Ben Lee said the city is not favoring big park developments over small community parks and workers are continually making repairs and improvements at all 283 city parks.
For fiscal year 2001, $103.9 million was budgeted for park repairs and improvements, and for fiscal year 2002, $145.7 million is planned, Lee said. Those figures are in addition to the money spent on developing the parks at Hanauma Bay and Waipi'o, Lee said. The parks department has a six-year capital improvement program for projects based on need.
Money for city parks and maintenance decreased in the late 1990s. In fiscal year 1998, the budget was $97.9 million and in fiscal year 2000, the amount decreased to $60.5 million.
Public facilities take a lot of abuse, which is expensive for the city to repair, Lee said. Graffiti and vandalism are daily occurrences.
"I don't know how to instill civic pride in people to take care of our public facilities," he said.
The parks department is also increasing its staff to maintain public facilities, with 122 positions created this year and 64 new positions planned in 2002.
The city maintains 90 recreation buildings, 23 gymnasiums, 18 swimming pools, 157 softball fields, 34 baseball fields, 179 tennis courts, 173 volleyball courts and 222 basketball courts.
"It is a handful," Lee said.
