Hawaii County officials say the first public park in Hawaiian Paradise Park won’t be finished for another four years at the earliest.

The Department of Parks and Recreation held a community meeting in Hawaiian Paradise Park on Wednesday to discuss the subdivision’s long-awaited district park, a project that has been in development since 2018. The project would be built on a county-owned parcel on Kaloli Drive between 25th and 26th avenues.

County Parks and Recreation Director Maurice Messina said at the meeting that the project has taken so long because of a lack of resources following years of reduced budgets for his department.

Messina said that when he was appointed director, he decided not undertake any new large-scale projects until the department could make progress toward addressing years of deferred maintenance at other park facilities around the island.

But even as the project finally begins to move forward, it will still be years before Hawaiian Paradise Park residents can enjoy the park. Parks and Recreation planner James Komata said even the most “favorable timeline” for the park would require 12 months to 18 months to complete a final design, another 12 months to 18 months to complete the permitting process and another two years to complete construction.

Puna Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz said she hopes the entire park will be completed in a single phase of work, rather than be split into multiple phases that each take years to complete.

“Have you ever seen phase two actually happen?” Kierkiewicz asked, prompting laughter from attendees.

However, the project has a steep price tag — more than $80 million, according to preliminary cost estimates.

Kierkiewicz said the county will seek federal grants and will appeal to the state Legislature next year to secure funding, and wondered aloud if any philanthropic-minded billionaires happen to live in Hawaiian Paradise Park.

When attendees asked why the county hasn’t attempted to secure funding in the years since the project began development, Komata said the county “can’t get funding for a half-baked project.” Until a final design is completed and a final cost is calculated, the county can’t solicit funds.

As outlined in a preliminary design, the 20-acre park could include facilities such as a pool, skate park, community center, baseball diamond and more. Meanwhile, the park also would require new water and electrical infrastructure, as well as substantial parking space. The preliminary design includes over 200 parking stalls.

Attendees at the meeting were largely positive about the prospect of a new park, with several residents noting they were late attending the meeting because they had to pick up their keiki from the next closest public park, the William “Billy” Kenoi District Park in Pahoa.

The biggest concern residents had about the park was security. On one hand, attendees said, with too little fencing, feral pigs will be able to enter the park freely and wreak havoc. On the other, too much fencing could run counter to the park’s goal of being a welcoming public space.

“We shouldn’t be designing a fortress,” said one attendee. “We don’t want to design a project to keep the homeless out. How many homeless people do you even see in HPP?”

Komata said additional public meetings will take place as the project progresses.

A draft environmental assessment for the park is expected to be completed within the next month, which will trigger a 30-day public comment period. A final assessment could be completed by early 2025, which would allow the county to finalize the design.