'Ewa Neighborhood Board Chairman Kurt Fevella said he's leaning toward carving out time on next month's board agenda to allow people in the community to give their ideas on when parks in the region should be closed, but he wants to run the idea by his board colleagues first.

Fevella abruptly adjourned Thursday's board meeting when several members of the audience demanded that he let them speak on the controversial park issue immediately.

While he was going to let people speak on the issue, he said, "we wanted to hear them after we went through some items." But when the shouting from the audience persisted, Fevella ended the meeting with only half the agenda completed and about 50 people still in the audience.

The board voted 8-1 in February to recommend to the city Parks and Recreation that all seven parks in the region be closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, a decision that has touched off a debate in the 'Ewa community.

Residents who live near several of the parks say the night closures are needed to crack down on drinking, drug use and other criminal activity at the facilities after dark, a position that's supported by police. But others from the area say shutting down the parks for half the day will cut into legitimate uses from fishing and surfing to pickup basketball and tennis lessons.

More than 80 people attended Thursday night's meeting, about double the average attendance for 'Ewa board meetings.

While he's willing to entertain the idea of adjusting the recommended closure hours at the parks, Fevella said, he doesn't think the board will wind up nixing nighttime closures altogether.

"We have to have closures because that's the only way we're going to have peace with the other people in the community," he said, stressing that the proposal sprung from community complaints in the first place.

City Parks Director Lester Chang indicated that he will likely consider the recommendations by the board on a park-by-park basis.

The affected parks would be One'ula Beach Park (also known as Hau Bush), 'Ewa Beach Community Park, 'Ewa Beach Park, Pu'uloa Neighborhood Park, Geiger Community Park, 'Ewa Mahiko Community Park and Asing Community Park.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.