Police station may be built at parks' expense
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer
HAWAI'I KAI — The proposed East Honolulu police station is back on track — for now at least.
City Councilman Charles Djou proposed scrapping a series of park projects from around the island to finance the proposed East Honolulu police station. Proposed park cuts include: • $500,000 from the Koko Head District Park • $755,000 from Koko Head Regional Park • $500,000 from Ala Moana Beach Park • $750,000 from the O'ahu Arts Center project • $200,000 from the Kaimuki Community park • $700,000 from the Kapolei Regional Park • $500,000 from the Kawai Nui Gateway Park • $800,000 from the Waikele Community Park
But the controversy — and challenge — for the $5.5 million project are far from over.
Parks cuts
Residents who complained when the project was derailed by high costs last year now say City Councilman Charles Djou restored the project to the city's budget by sacrificing money intended for park improvements. Police say they prefer another site over the already selected park-and-ride lot on Keahole Street. And the project still must survive a final City Council vote in a tight budget year.
East Honolulu is O'ahu's only police district without a station in the community, and residents have sought one for more than a decade. The Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board even passed a resolution stating that the police station was its No. 1 priority, Djou said. And he figured out a way to put the project back into the budget.
"The money for a police station was stolen from the parks budget," said Mary Houghton, who spoke on behalf of the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board at a park community meeting. "I object to this strongly."
Djou said the criticisms are natural from citizens who want everything — nice parks and public safety. "I have always advocated that you have to prioritize," he said. "In a tight budget you can't fund everything."
But, he said, "the top priority should be public safety."
The $5.5 million line item for the police station was approved by the council last week. Additional budget hearings will be held May 22-23 at City Hall, with the budget going before the full council on June 4.
"I think it has a fairly good chance of passing because I proposed $15 million in cuts and only $5.5 million in additions," Djou said.
The city has spent $900,000 for designs on a station that was to be completed in 2005 and situated next to the park-and-ride lot.
But now comes word that police would prefer another site.
"Our druthers would be a station in Kapahulu," said Karl Godsey, assistant chief of the support services bureau. "We're not opposed to the site. But if we could pick a place, it would be more centrally located."
Police are bending to the wishes of a panel of volunteers led by former City Councilman John Henry Felix that selected the park-and-ride spot over nearly a dozen others from Manoa to Makapu'u.
The site issue was moot when the project was pulled from consideration late last year after bids for the Hawai'i Kai location came in over budget. The city had planned to spend $4.9 million on the station, but bids came in $900,000 too high, according to City Managing Director Ben Lee.
Djou said the Hawai'i Kai project should go forward.
"At the Hawai'i Kai site, the city already owns the land, and it's under-utilized," he said. "I have talked to a number of police officers who say privately that the Hawai'i Kai site is the best location."
