$4.25 million in Waimanalo park upgrades is pending, city says
COURTESY CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU
Proposed improvements include the construction of a new pavilion that would be similar to the former one; replacement of two comfort stations; restoration of the crafts building; and the periodic replacement of other existing park facilities as they wear out or are damaged, the report states.
A proposed $4.25 million improvement project to repair or replace Waimanalo Beach Park’s aging pavilion, comfort stations, recreation building and related facilities is the topic of a Feb. 21 community meeting, the city says.
Hosted by the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, the 6:30-8:30 p.m. meeting at Waimanalo District Park’s gymnasium at 41-415 Hihimanu St. will allow for public comment on the project’s draft environmental assessment.
The project document, or DEA, details the reconstruction and repair efforts planned for those facilities, “which are greatly needed to continue providing recreational opportunities for this rural community,” the report states.
According to the DEA, park improvements are needed because existing and former facilities at the park have deteriorated or been removed due to age, weathering, vandalism and other factors.
“For example, a pavilion, constructed in 1960, and dedicated to the memory of Gabby ‘Pop’ Pahinui had to be removed in 2019 because it had become a safety concern,” the report states.
Proposed improvements include the construction of a new pavilion that would be similar to the former one; replacement of two comfort stations; restoration of the crafts building; and the periodic replacement of other existing park facilities as they wear out or are damaged, the report states.
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The estimated costs for the three projects include $2.5 million to replace the comfort stations, $1.2 million to reconstruct the Pahinui Pavilion and $550,000 to repair the recreation building, the city says.
Honolulu-based Planning Solutions Inc. is the project’s consultant.
According to the city, this public-comment process follows a previous public meeting in June. The DEA is now available online for public review by visiting bit.ly/WaimanaloDEA.
The report states the project has an “anticipated finding of no significant impact to the environment resulting from the proposed improvements.”
As far as past meetings held on this project, Waimanalo Neighborhood Board member Ted Ralston said a meeting he attended in late 2023 seemed hasty and lacked information.
“The initial meeting came by surprise, and it came during the week when people were at work and with little advance notice,” Ralston said. “And I will say the acoustics were terrible, so nobody could hear what was going on. … It was held in the gym.”
He also claimed “that nobody was interested in listening to the neighborhood feedback.”
“It was simply a one-way transmission of information coming out,” he said. “This was a check-the-box move: ‘Yes, we had the community outreach, done.’”
As far as revamping Waimanalo Beach Park’s facilities, Ralston said, “Obviously, that’s overdue and necessary,” and “we can’t ignore the fact that they’re falling apart.”
For its part, the city did not immediately respond to questions about its public outreach efforts or the past meetings held on the Waimanalo Beach Park improvement project.
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GET INVOLVED
Those unable to make the public meeting may submit written comments:
>> Email: makena@psi-hi.com or mailed to the following address by March 11.
>> Mail: Makena White, AICP, Planning Solutions Inc., 711 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 950, Honolulu, HI 96813.
>> More information: Contact DPR at 808-768-3003 on weekdays, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or email parks@ honolulu.gov.
