KAILUA-KONA — A park slated for revitalization and the center of controversy will be closed for about eight months during construction. ADVERTISING KAILUA-KONA — A park slated for revitalization and the center of controversy will be closed for about eight
KAILUA-KONA — A park slated for revitalization and the center of controversy will be closed for about eight months during construction.
The County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation said in a press release late Wednesday that the temporary closure of Kukuihaele Park begins immediately and will continue through completion of construction activities, currently anticipated in April 2017.
“The general contractor has fenced off the entire perimeter of the park for public safety, and the county respectfully requests the public’s assistance in honoring the contractor’s worksite and ongoing construction operations,” the press release said.
The announcement came one day after contractors broke ground on the $5 million renovation project. The ground breaking was accompanied by a protester who sought to stop the project that was challenged in court by concerned neighbors.
“It was never brought up,” said Koohan Paik, interim secretary for the Kukuihaele Neighborhood Association — the group that challenged, lost, and is appealing a preliminary injunction to stop the project until an environmental impact statement could be completed — about the closure. “Don’t you think we should have been warned in some way?”
The project is slated to improve and enhance the recreational facilities provided at the rural park, including replacing an existing outdoor basketball court and upgrading the sports field, as well as investing in a new pavilion and restroom facility to support community gatherings, a new walking path and amenities such as picnic tables, onsite parking, safety improvements, and enhanced landscaping.
The Department of Parks and Recreation thanked park users and the general public for their understanding and patience while it works to improve Kukuihaele Park in the release.
Paik, who protested the groundbreaking Tuesday and again on Wednesday with a group of others, said the timing of the closure seemed fishy. She said she still plans to protest the project, which some neighbors feel doesn’t fit the character of the small neighborhood.
A call and email late Wednesday to Jason Armstrong, public information officer for the Department of Parks and Recreation, weren’t returned.
