Posted on: Tuesday, February 18, 2003

Kaimuki may lose skatepark to budget cuts

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

A year after a skateboard facility in Kaimuki seemed like a sure thing, all bets are off as city budget cutbacks and new vision team priorities make finding money for the project nearly impossible.

"We don't know if it's going to happen or not," said Leonard Tam, a Kaimuki Neighborhood Board and area vision team member. "The (neighborhood) board was told to focus spending on repairs and the vision funding for capital improvements. It's not in this year's vision budget. Right now it is up in the air."

Last March, Marcia Mitchell of the city parks department said space for the skateboard facility in Kaimuki Neighborhood Park had been set aside and would include ramps and rails for skateboarders. A public meeting was held to finalize planning and head off any conflicts over space at the park.

Money for the project was expected to come from the area's vision team, with the facility opening last summer.

At the time, vision teams had an annual $2 million budget for capital improvements, but that was soon cut to $1 million. The teams were told to finish old projects before starting new ones.

City spokeswoman Carol Costa said the parks department still wants to build the facility and would likely install a concrete slab and fencing for the project in-house to save money, but there is no money for the ramps, rails and other skateboard apparatus.

"(Parks director) Bill Balfour said it depends on what funds he has in the '04 budget to purchase equipment," Costa said. "They want to do it, we are solidly behind it and a lot of work has already gone forward to plan it."

Costa said the skateboard equipment is expected to cost about $25,000.

"It's good for the community," she said. "It's just will the next budget have sufficient funds to make it happen or is there an opportunity for someone from the community to step forward and make it happen?"

A popular skatepark under H-1 Freeway at Kapahulu Avenue closed in September 1999, leaving the closest alternative about two miles away in Makiki.

Rebecca Noda, owner of Lazy Bonez Skateboard Shop on Kapahulu Avenue, said skateboarders, especially the younger ones, need a place to ride closer to home.

Once a month she takes a carload of them on a field trip to one of the city's nine skateparks.

"We really need something in the area for the kids," Noda said. "Now they go to an empty lot."

Noda said the closest parks — Makiki, 'A'ala and Hawai'i Kai — are all a long way off for young kids.

At the January Kaimuki board meeting, Tam said a representative of the parks department said they were having second thoughts about putting in the skateboard facility.

"After they completed the Koko Head one in Hawai'i Kai, the kids (are) going out there," Tam said. "So if they are doing that, we don't need it. It takes away from use of other things at the small park."