Question: Regarding the sinkhole at Kaneohe District Park’s upper parking lot, can the city work something out with Windward Community College so the soccer teams/spectators can park there and walk to the park, in case the sinkhole can’t be fixed in the next month?
Answer: Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation is looking into that as a possible solution, but no agreement had been finalized as of Wednesday; the city apparently would have to pay WCC for such usage, a spokesperson said. The community college’s website lists parking as being free, which had helped inspire your question.
The department also is trying to figure out how to restore access to Kaneohe District Park’s upper parking lot, despite the sinkhole near the entrance, said DPR spokesperson Nate Serota. One idea is to cut away a curb to widen the entrance so that drivers can avoid the sinkhole; safety concerns are paramount. Allowing drivers to park on a grassy area next to the soccer field also is being considered, he said; that area is within the park boundaries.
“Our preferred option is to provide alternate access to the upper parking lot, as long as that can be done safely, but we are considering everything that could be feasible,” he said Wednesday, including looking into available lots off park grounds.
Kaneohe District Park is at 45-660 Keaahala Road, while Windward Community College is at 45-720 Keaahala Road.
A WCC spokesperson said Tuesday that the community college is working on a facilities-use agreement with Parks and Recreation that would allow permitted users of Kaneohe District Park to park for free in a designated area on campus; details will be released if the deal is worked out. “Permitted users” are those who have a city permit to use the park, such as sports leagues. Individuals would not pay WCC to park, but the city apparently would have to pay for overall use of the lot.
WCC’s website, wind ward.hawaii.edu/about-wcc/parking/ Opens in a new tab, describes campus parking as being free.
Kaneohe District Park’s upper parking lot has been closed since mid-April because of the sinkhole, which the city is having trouble repairing. It resulted from two deteriorating 42-inch drain lines, which have been cleared but likely will require a larger, more expensive capital improvement project to permanently fix, according to a city news release Friday.
The city’s initial attempts to cover, patch or fill the sinkhole weren’t a lasting solution, “with more and more undermined and structurally compromised areas of the lot being discovered,” the release said.
Still, “the city is determined to find a temporary solution to the problem, and hopes to safely restore public access to the affected parking lot before the beginning of the popular soccer season in August.”
Q: Didn’t the airport parking fees just go up at the beginning of the year? Now they are rising again?
A: Yes and yes. Incremental increases were negotiated in 2018 as part of a long-term airport parking agreement, according to the state Department of Transportation. The first rate increase under this agreement took effect Jan. 1, the second will take effect Saturday, and further increases will take effect every July 1 for the next four years.
“Based on this agreement, the parking concessionaire began system modernizations including fiberoptic installations, a camera tracking system for entering and departing vehicles, automated calculations of parking fees, and LED displays of available stalls,” the DOT said in a news release.
Q: Will they pick up the trash on the Fourth of July?
A: Yes. “Refuse will be collected and transfer stations, convenience centers, H-POWER, and the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill” will be open Tuesday, according to the city.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
