2003-11-07 TDLNR - Laserfiche WebLink

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especially when the road is paved, even with the planned parking areas of the Mahaiula side. Though we do not support the construction of huge unsightly paved parking areas within the park, we still feel that access will shortly be sorely lacking and that more accommodations should be included at least for pedestrian access near the highway, possibly in several locations along the highway, something that the task force actually discussed, but IÓm not sure exactly where that went. ItÓs our fear that the north end of the park will become the exclusive domain of thousands of private luxury homes being built around it. And that by minimizing public access, it would help ensure the privacy these homeowners are seeking (by living in a high- security, gated shoreline communities); and that the desire to b could prevent future enhancement of public access to public shoreline. ItÓs our hope that this shortage can be overcome before this SMA is finally approved. In regards to the gates and park hours, the park workers have taken it upon themselves to set arbitrary changing, and inordinately strict control of park use hours. As per task force agreement, the parkÓs hours were set as follows: Every day except Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. the gate would be open. Wednesdays, the park is cl pedestrians. We feel that gate hours are an important part of public access and should be maintained and handled consistently unless or until thereÓs a consensus of more than just the public employees and, especially, those people who took part for many years working to make the park a public treasure. In the past two years, the gate has been erratically opened and shut as well as people (including frightened tourists), I was there, locked into the park by employees who even saw that those people were left there (and still they refused to open the gate to let them out.) This situation is intolerable and, of course, requires addressing beyond just the SMA permit. However, we would like to see the above hours written into the SMA if thatÓs possible as a minimum of the hours park gates will be opened to ensure the public has this vehicular access. Mahalo, again, for -. Oh, IÓm sorry, I wanted to add one other thing. We also ask that pedestrian access 24-7 be guaranteed into all areas of the park, hopefully, written into the SMA until or unless a thorough process, including the public to give input, makes a decision otherwise. Mahalo, again, for your consideration of our views and this increasingly grave public issue of access. SPRINGER:Commissioners, questions or comments? Janice, could you repeat for me your last, the section, the 24-7 section. 12