Posted on: Sunday, October 6, 2002

COMMENTARY
Start over and create natatorium beach park

By Rick Bernstein

Members of the Leilehua High School JROTC Color Guard marched during ceremonies for the reopening of the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial May 28, 2000. Creation of a Natatorium Memorial Beach Park would be an invaluable asset to both the city and state. Advertiser Library Photo

Dr. Bruce Anderson and the state Department of Health did the right thing in creating swimming pool rules that protect public health and safety at the natatorium swimming pool.

This painful decision was based on the advice of Health Department experts and many UH scientists and doctors who gave expert testimony regarding the dangers involved in operating an untreated saltwater pool.

The new rules include a mechanical pump to assure water circulation and a hard bottom instead of sand to ensure against bacterial buildup on the bottom. These changes make rebuilding the pool cost-prohibitive.

Recently, several ideas have been offered about what should happen to the natatorium now that the pool is unaffordable. Some of those have included filling the pool with sand or dirt and turning the facility into a volleyball stadium. According to engineers we have spoken with, the aging walls of the pool are too degraded to support the pressure from that much fill, and would most likely collapse. Other plans include the commercialization of the facility. We feel that any commercialization would be inappropriate for a memorial site.

The City Council appropriated $11.5 million for the restoration. Mayor Jeremy Harris gambled and spent $4.5 million on restoring the facade and bleachers, without permits in place for the pool. Now that the pool is unfeasible, the work done could be considered a huge waste of taxpayer money, as the bleachers are intended for use with the pool. Rather than throw stones at our embattled mayor, or worry about spilled milk, we offer a solution that will address the needs of all parties concerned and remain within the allocated budget.

The first step is to move or recreate the Memorial Arch and two architecturally similar adjoining restrooms forward to the same line as the existing seawall at Kaimana Beach. Alcoves at either end of the restrooms would detail the history of the natatorium on one side and pay tribute to the World War I veterans on the other.

Demolish the existing, newly refurbished structure, including the deteriorating seawalls. Fill the parking area up to the existing water line at Kaimana Beach with sand. Place new, shorter groins at both the Diamond Head and 'ewa ends where the pool walls now stand. According to UH ocean engineer Chip Fletcher, this will protect Kaimana Beach and the new two-acre natatorium beach from erosion of sand. Place a sand volleyball court on the 'ewa end of the new beach.

What about the swimmers?

With the removal of the pool, a 500-meter, nearshore swimming course is opened up. This is possible because the area from the Queen's Surf groin to the natatorium, inside the reef, was dredged many years ago and there exists a wonderful swimming channel waiting to be connected to Kaimana Beach with the removal of the natatorium pool. Imagine being able to swim from Kaimana Beach to the Queen's Surf groin and be just 100 feet from shore. This could become the premier nearshore swimming course in Hawai'i. What a wonderful benefit to the tourism industry that caters to people coming here to enjoy our ocean and beaches. What a boon for local swimmers!

According to Miami-based Kevin Bodge, a world-renowned ocean engineer hired by by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to assess Hawai'i ocean groins, and Fletcher, the addition of a few more small groins along the same park area would create a sandy beach from the natatorium to the Queen's Surf groin. We would support this idea if it could be shown that no harm would come to "Publics," the nearby surfing spot, as a result.

Bodge further stated that all of this could be accomplished for about the $7 million remaining in the budget for the full restoration of the natatorium swimming pool. Rather than worry about the $4.5 million wasted, let us move forward and give relief to this beautiful ocean area.

What about the 31 lost parking spaces if the natatorium were demolished?

The current dysfunctional driveway could be improved by creating a new one-way traffic flow that uses the existing street entrance by the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, but instead of ending at the 'ewa end of the area as it does now, would extend through the park, next to the aquarium and exit onto Kalakaua Avenue. This would add about 20 parking spaces and create a more efficient traffic flow in this presently congested parking area. On busy weekend days, a small trolley could run from the parking lots next to the Waikiki Shell, around the park, dropping beach users off and picking them up anywhere in the park. A small fee could be charged for this needed transportation.

By removing the decaying blight on nature's beautiful oceanfront, a rebirth of this precious area would occur. Proper respect would be shown to the veterans, a history of the glory days of the pool would be in place, the memorial arch and architectural remnants of the facade would exist, volleyball players would have a new court, beach users would have a new beach, and swimmers would have a new swimming course. The city and state would lose a liability and gain an invaluable asset, the Natatorium Memorial Beach Park.

We think this would be the highest and best use of the natatorium and the surrounding area.

Rick Bernstein is the founder of the Kaimana Beach Coalition, an organization of beach users.