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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, April 22, 2005

Chinatown waterfall likely to turn green

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

After draining the waterfall pond in Chinatown Gateway Park because the pump broke — again — city officials are considering turning off the water for good and replacing it with landscaping.

City Facility Maintenance Director Laverne Higa said the pumps that power the water feature in the park alongside the historic Hawai'i Theatre Center broke at the beginning of this month and the city hasn't been able to fix them or get an estimate for repairs. She said the pumps have broken repeatedly since the water feature was built.

That means the waterfall and pond that dominate the little park remain empty and roped off with barricades and yellow-and-red "do not enter construction zone" tape.

City spokesman Bill Brennan said the city has repaired the fountain repeatedly, although he did not have an estimate available on the total cost of upkeep and repairs. "It's been a maintenance nightmare," he said.

Edwina Stricker, who works downtown, said the water gets dirtier each year. She thinks it would be better to drain the pond and put in more plants. "I think it would be great if they landscaped it."

Stricker said her kids liked the pond, but she became alarmed whenever they stuck their hands into the water. "I've seen homeless people shi-shi in it," she said.

Higa said the city has had multiple problems with the mechanics of the waterfall and needed to drain it because the water had started to stagnate and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. She said the city will work with nearby residents and businesses and all concerned for a long-term solution — "maybe filling it up with dirt and some kind of nice landscaping."

Burton White, artistic director and general manager for the Hawai'i Theatre Center, said the waterfall generally breaks two or three times a year. "If the mayor called me tomorrow and said, 'Do we need it?,' I'd say 'No,' " he said.

City Council member Charles Djou said maintenance costs make it difficult for the city to afford things such as rock waterfalls. So, he thinks it's prudent for the city to consider taking out the water. "You have to make choices," he said.

But Djou stops short of advocating the complete removal of the rocks and landscaping that are built into the design.

"Tearing the whole thing out is perhaps not the best use of our taxpayer dollars when we have so many other pressing priorities," he said.

Indigo Restaurant host Jesse Savio said customers like to watch the waterfall, so he'd like to see it fixed. If that is too expensive, he hopes the landscaping around the falls can be saved. "I certainly wouldn't want to see those trees disappear," he said.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.