HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWC 267 08/17/1988 1984-1988 REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS
DATE: August 17 , 1988
PLACE : Councilroom
TIME: 10 : 00 a .m .
Chairman and Members
Hawaii County Council
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Your Committee on Public Works to which was referred Communication
'No . 1716 and Resolution No . 477-88 , reports as follows:
The purpose of Resolution No . 477-88 is to urge the Board of Land and
Natural Resources to 'grant the Mayor ' s request for the remainder of
the Old Kona Airport Park and for the State ' s continuation of
maintenance assistance for the 80 acres until the land is exchanged
or given to the County by lease or executive order .
Your Committee reviewed Communication No . 1716 , a copy of a letter to
William Paty, Chairman, Board of Land and Natural Resources, from
Mayor Dante Carpenter , formally requesting the County ' s acquisition
of the Old Kona Airport Park through a lease, executive order or
exchange in order to develop a community sports complex for North
Kona. Communication No . 1716 also cites the 1988 Legislature' s
support for the acquisition via S .R. 220 and informs that the 80-acre
parcel has been under discussion for the past several years as
suitable for exchange with the County because its uses are more
active than passive.
Your Committee understands that a Statewide effort has been underway
to exchange parks so that the State will have passive parks and the
County will have parks with active uses .
Your Committee heard testimony from Mr . Kiyono Kunitake which was
centered around her goal of keeping the Old Kona Airport Park as a
passive scenic beach park for family recreational uses and obtaining
100 acres at Kealakehe for a regional sports complex. Mrs . Kunitake
traced the history of her efforts for the two parks and showed site
plans for the Kealakehe Regional Sport Complex prepared for the
County in 1976 . She cited the 1986 Legislature ' s Senate Resolution
No . 72, requesting the designation of land within Kealakehe for use
as a regional sports complex under the County of Hawaii . She also
cited a letter from the County Council in support of Senate
Resolution No . 72, dated April 1 , 1986 and signed by Stephen
Yamashiro, Lorraine Jitchaku-Inouye , Merle K. Lai , Russell S . Kokubun
and James L. K. Dahlberg . She also noted that Senator Yamasaki , •
Senator Malama Solomon and Senator Richard Matsuura support the
Regional Sports Complex at Kealakehe . She cited community support
PWC REPORT ,';J 267
ADOPTED : SEP 71988
pwc- 267 Page 2 August 17, 1988
through petitions which over 400 signature in 1970 ' s and over 3 ,000
signature in 1980 . She read a letter dated March 19, 1986 from
Susumu Ono, Chairperson, Board of Land and Natural Resources to
Senator Joe Kuroda explaining that DLNR is willing to reserve
approximately 100 acres of Kealakehe land to be used for a sports
complex and would be willing to transfer the necessary lands with a
reverter clause should the County not develop the land for
recreational purposes within a designated period, say ten years. She
read her letter dated August 17, 1988 to the Committee asking for
help to work for the 100-acre Kealakehe Sports Complex before it is
too late and noted that the "population will grow but the land will
not grow. "
Your Committee members commended Mrs. Kunitake on her commitment and
perseverance
One of your Committee members circulated a memo reporting that the
research he requested showed that the setting aside of land by
executive order was subject to legislative disapproval while a lease
is only subject to approval by the Board of Land and Natural
Resources.
A Council member expressed concern about the impact of the original
location of the proposed gym at the Kailua side of the ballfields at
Old Kona Airport Park on the makai subdivision of luxury homes. The
Director of Parks and Recreation acknowledged consideration of a new
site further north and further from the subdivision, within the 80
acres being requested from the State .
In response to questions from a Committee member on the
Administration ' s position on Kealakehe; the economic feasibility of
developing a sports complex at either Old Kona Airport Park or
Kealakehe ; and the site for a gym, the Director of Parks and
Recreation stated that :
1 . Her position is that pursuit of the Kealakehe site should
wait until the County is ready to commit ;
2 . Funding is a slow process and a bond float would be required
for the gym.
3 . Kona people want a [community] sports complex at the Old Kona
Airport Park, just like other communities around the island
enjoy .
4 . The gym will take less than one acre .
5 . Kona could use three gyms and the one at Old Kona Airport
Park is the first one.
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PWC- 267 Page 3 August 17, 1988
A Committee member stated that the Governor ' s Task Force has
redefined active and passive and wants the County to take over beach
parks as active parks . Eventually, the State would give the Old Kona
Airport Park to the County through overlapping functions . He would
support asking the State for both the 80 acres of Old Kona Airport
park plus the 100 acres at Kealakehe. He recommended amending
Resolution No. 477-88 to include Kealakehe in a whereas clause .
Your Committee concurs with asking the State for the remaining 80
acres of Old Kona Airport Park for a community sports complex and for
100 acres at Kealakehe for a regional sports complex. Your Committee
approved Resolution No . 477-88 with the understanding that it will be
amended on the Council floor to include Keala ehe in a whereas clause .
MER . K. LAI, CHAIR 'MAN
. 4 (ABSENT AND EXCUSED)
SSELL S. KOKUB N, VICE CHR. FRANK DE LUZ III, MEMBER
(ABSENT AND EXCUSED) iCZ(‘
TAKASHI DOMINGO, MEMBER SHERWOOD R. H. GREENWELL, MBER
LA/TW