Hawaii football fans love their Warriors and high school teams. Hawaii football fans love Aloha Stadium. But importantly, Hawaii football fans love tailgating. For many, the three or four pre-game hours of camaraderie with best friends, barbecuing kal-bi ribs, and yes, enjoying a beverage or two are priceless.

So why is the state so anxious to take away this unique experience from its football fans? Interpreting seemingly innocuous recent statements by the state about Aloha Stadium redevelopment, the reality emerges: 83% of the current stadium and surrounding parking area will be converted to “mixed use development.” The whole scheme results in keeping 20 acres for the stadium but “taking” 98 acres away. With hardly a whimper of resistance from anybody.

One glance at a “conceptual rendering” by Crawford Architects of Kansas City tells it all: THERE’S LITTLE OR NO OUTDOOR PARKING!

Condominiums, office buildings, retail buildings and a vague “entertainment district,” all gobbling up most of the current stadium parking area. How will the residents near Aloha Stadium feel about off-site parking come game and concert time? And how will fans feel, forced to park up to a mile away and walk? Can you imagine the hue and cry from college football fans nationwide if they faced a similar “taking?”

The split of 20 acres for the stadium and 98 acres for development was quite possibly based on two critical, but both flawed, concepts:

1. An early idea was to put parking under the 20-acre stadium. Perhaps a concept worth considering until you put a sharp pencil to the economics. Any developer will tell you of the significantly higher construction cost of underground parking and implications to the stadium itself — support issues, drainage, entry/exit access, etc. With the best weather of any football stadium in the country, why would planners consider putting parking underground? And certainly no barbecuing in the basement!

2. Secondly, the lure of the rail. With a rail station next to the stadium, the concept was apparently that most of us would go to games on the train. No need to even start on when, and from where, the rail will be completed. But what percentage of fans — many of whom like to tailgate — might use the train? Perhaps an option if you live between the stadium and Kapolei, but for the other 80% of us, useless. And if train riders want to tailgate, you can’t take your cooler, pop-up tent, and dishes into the stadium. If you ride the train, forget tailgating.

Then consider the unintended financial consequences. What percentage of University of Hawaii season ticket holders will switch to pay-per-view if they can’t tailgate? Lanais all over the island will become remote tailgate sites, with one TV on. The UH Athletic Department’s bottom line will no doubt be impacted. And how about the Stadium Authority’s cash cow, the swap meet? With insufficient outdoor parking, another bottom line casualty at taxpayers’ expense.

Is this really government for the people? It’s time to speak out to our governor, Legislature and Stadium Authority: Rethink this “taking,” perhaps flipping the 83-17 ratio of land taken out of its current use. It should be the other way around.

Clint Churchill and Ken Roberts are retired businessmen who live in Kailua and Kaneohe, respectively.