Interested in a dog park on the windward side?

Legislators representing windward Oahu have organized a special “Dog Park Town Hall” from 6 to 7 p.m. tonight at Ben Parker Elementary School cafeteria.

The public is invited to weigh in on where they would support an off-leash dog park on the windward side, as well as what concerns they have, according to state Rep. Lisa Kitagawa (D, Kaneohe-Kahaluu-Waiahole).

“For many years, the community has been requesting a dog park,” said Kitagawa. “There’s been some movement on it, but nothing has materialized yet. There are dog parks opening across the island, and nothing has come up on the windward side … So we’re helping to support this effort on the state level.”

Two potential sites for dog parks include an area by Bay View Golf Course at Kaneohe Bay Drive, and Kaneohe District Park, according to Kitagawa.

“We’re trying to gauge which one people are more interested in, and whether there are concerns about those locations,” she said. “We’re trying to gather input to make this a community-initiative dog park.”

State Rep. Scot Matayoshi (D, Kaneohe-Maunawaili-Kailua) will be at the town hall, as well as state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole (D, Kaneohe-Kailua) and a representative from Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson’s office.

Kitigawa said Anderson has been working with the city to create a windward area dog park for a few years, and that she is working with him to move the initiative forward.

The Windward Dog Park Hui, a community group, has been advocating for a dog park for more than 15 years.

Although numerous legislators in October 2018 announced a state-of-the-art park would include a dog park along a vacant, 6.8-acre parcel of land to be donated by Alexander & Baldwin along Hamakua Drive in Kailua, that project has not made much progress.

City officials recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new off-leash dog park at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park, which will be built at a cost of nearly $636,000. The new park is expected to be done in fall 2020.

At the start of this year, the city also celebrated the opening of a new off-leash dog park at Kalo Place Mini Park in Moiliili, which was built through a public-private partnership with the Hawaiian Humane Society.

The city currently operates six off-leash dog parks. In addition to the newest one at Kalo Place Mini Park, it operates dog parks at Aala Park, Ala Wai Dog Park, the Hawaii Kai Park & Ride, Moanalua Community Park, and the Mililani Park & Ride.

Another off-leash dog park, the Diamond Head “Bark Park,” is run by a nonprofit on state land.