HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1140.004 2004-2006
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Fleming, Melissa
From: Helie Rock [helierock@yahoo.coml
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 8:52 PM
To: Holschuh, Fred; Ikeda, Donald; Arakaki, James; Higa, Stacy; Safarik, Gary; Jacobson, Bob; Isbell,
Virginia; Pilago, K. Angel; Hoffmann, Pete
Cc: Desiree Cruz-O'Connor; Adrienne & Arabinda Dey; Helen Luna Fess; Neal Herbert; Dianne
Horvitz; Gordon Kurokawa; PATRICK MOORE; Helen Rogers; Dick & Madelyn Troelstrup
Subject: Honoli'i Beach Expansion
Nov. 7, 2006
TO: County Council Members, County of Hawaii
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FROM: Pauka'a Community Association Board of Directors o
Helie Rock, President c
Richard Troelstrup, Vice President
Helen Rogers, Secretary
Gordon Kurokawa, Treasurer
Patrick Moore, Director
Neal Herbert, Director ro
Adrienne Dey, Director 4
Richard Villanueva, Director
Helen Luna Fess, Director
Desiree Cruz, Director
Dianne Horwitz, Director
RE: EXPANSION OF HONOLI'I BEACH PARK
It was with some surprise that we read in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald recently of the
County Council's rather sudden vote to authorize purchase of land adjacent to Honoli'i
Beach Park in order to expand the park. Although the November 1 article reported that
Council Chairman Stacy Higa stated that community input is crucial to the park's
development, no one in our community association, which includes Honoli'i Beach Park,
was consulted prior to this vote.
While we are certainly in favor of expanding recreational opportunities for the residents of
East Hawaii and we believe the purchase in question could be a great benefit to the
community, we have some concerns about this recent action:
. As was evident through our meetings with representatives of the County Department
of Parks & Recreation earlier this year, this department has barely enough resources
to adequately manage the holdings it is currently responsible for, let alone adding
more. Even the newspaper article stated that the Parks Department only recently
heard about this proposal, so we are wondering if the Council consulted this
department before voting to add to its responsibilities?
. Parking for Honoli'i Beach Park is currently completely inadequate-on almost any
given day with even moderate surf, the cars are parked, and even double-parked,
along the entire narrow stretch of road fronting the park, and bey'Lld.oOn_pig surf
Comm. No. Y
Ref. To.
11/8/2006 Ref. Date i a
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days, nearby residents can barely get out of their driveways because of all the cars
parked on their residential streets. Unless the proposed park expansion includes a
solid plan to alleviate the parking situation, we cannot be in favor of it.
. We are concerned that a park expansion will also increase traffic along Kahoa Road,
which is narrow and winds through a quiet residential subdivision. Our community
has already registered numerous complaints about speeding cars along this road,
most of which come from the beach park.
¦ On the good side, purchase of this property would be a wonderful opportunity for the
County to bring Honoli'i Beach Park into compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), by providing easier beach access to those with disabilities; in
particular the gulch property which includes the 4-bedroom house could provide for
this access.
In short, the Pauka'a Community Association would like to endorse this proposed
expansion of Honoli'i Beach Park, but only if adequate infrastructure-specifically park
budget & personnel, parking facilities, traffic mitigation, and ADA access-are included in
the proposal.
Thank you for your consideration.
11/8/2006