Cost of Central O'ahu park questioned

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

The second half of a major new park plagued by delays and cost increases is set to open next month amid a serious budget crunch, but top city officials say they don't know how much it will cost to maintain and operate.

Central O'ahu Regional Park's second phase, which includes the tennis complex seen here, is scheduled to open next month despite unresolved issues about financing and a series of construction change orders. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

And now there is concern that it could have a future similar to that of the popular Waipi'o soccer complex, which opened in September 2000 and has hosted major tournaments.

The soccer complex was supposed to be privately operated at no cost to city taxpayers. But no such deal has emerged to cover its $750,000 annual maintenance costs.

"The council was assured this would happen, but it hasn't happened yet," council budget chairwoman Ann Kobayashi said.

Now some have expressed concern about delays in the Central O'ahu park's second phase and what it may eventually cost to run and maintain what will be the city's largest park.

The newest portions of the $65 million, 269-acre park beside Kamehameha Highway, near Ka Uka Boulevard and Waipio Gentry, include a tennis complex and archery range that should be opened sometime in February, city managing director Ben Lee said.

City records show the amenities were scheduled to be completed in April 2002, but officials say design changes and unforeseen site conditions caused delays.

Six baseball and softball fields that also should have opened months ago have had their debuts delayed until March because glass fragments must be removed from the infield dirt, Lee said.

"We have only found a few small particles of glass, and most are about the size of a grain of rice, but we want to make sure we have no glass on the fields at all," he said.

But Lee could give no indication of how much will be spent each year for the park's operation, despite The Advertiser's inquiries over more than two weeks. He said parks officials could not provide the cost during that time.

Parks director Bill Balfour was away from his office yesterday, staff members said. City spokeswoman Carol Costa said figures were still not available.

Lee said the city hopes to hire a private group to run the tennis and archery portions "in the near future," but that no request for proposals had been issued.

Civic watchdogs and City Council members, meanwhile, continue to question costs associated with the project.

Kobayashi said parks officials and workers have done an excellent job taking care of the city's recreation assets but that costs are bound to rise unless they are offset by user fees or private operating agreements. It makes no sense to build new parks, she said, without fully planning for their upkeep.

"We should be budgeting for the maintenance as we plan the park," she said.

Gary Okino, council chairman, has warned that a property tax increase may be necessary this year to balance the city budget, and that all spending will be closely reviewed.

In July, council members accused Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration of "stonewalling" when officials refused to respond to a former city project manager's allegations that work on the Central O'ahu park had been poorly planned and rushed.

The manager, Kelly Saunders, has said she was removed from the project after she complained that shoddy work was wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars.

City attorneys said no public response was possible because the charges involved personnel issues and could lead to litigation.

Saunders said she doesn't want to talk about the park publicly anymore because it hasn't seemed to help.

"It was handled poorly, and that probably was covered up," she said.

The park has also drawn scrutiny because the president of one of the major design contractors, SSFM International, has been charged with money laundering for allegedly funneling illegal campaign contributions to Harris.

Company executive Michael Matsumoto has pleaded not guilty to the charges while his attorney negotiates a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Tom Sugita, chairman of a tennis advisory council for the Department of Parks and Recreation, said a new city tennis complex is good news but that repeated delays and changes point to poor planning.

"There's something definitely wrong with how this thing was passed through," he said. "Why do these projects have so many change orders? Common sense tells you something is wrong."

Sugita said the complex lacked enough benches and shelter for tennis players who are resting or waiting for a court to become available, and that some courts at other city parks have been neglected for years. It has been extremely difficult to get information about the new park and the public money that's being spent, he added.

"They know things are not right and that it's costing taxpayers, but they don't want to talk about it," Sugita said. "I ask all these questions and just get beating-around-the-bush-type answers.

Costs for the second phase already have increased.

For instance, SSFM's design contract for that portion jumped from $682,765 to more than $3.1 million, and changes to the construction contract for the tennis and archery facilities added $576,000 to the original $9 million.

The city has earmarked $65 million for the total project, and has spent or committed at least $51.6 million so far, records show.

Plans also call for a large "aquatic center" of swimming pools and a community center.

Lee said it is not unusual for large and complex projects to undergo changes that will improve the final result, and that design contracts are often negotiated in increments rather than all in advance.

Some delays have been because of bureaucratic snafus, he said. For example, the problem with the infield glass has dragged on because a new grading permit had to be obtained, Lee said.

Additional change orders, which could further increase the cost of the project, are being negotiated. But Lee said it could weaken the city's negotiating leverage if he disclosed specific figures.

Kobayashi said she would request a full public accounting of all spending associated with the project once it's complete.

"Let's be up front about the costs," she said. "It's taxpayer money, so it's public information, and it should be readily available."

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.