Public input key to updating county’s Parks Master Plan

LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i officials and hired consultants are seeking the public’s help in updating the county’s Parks Master Plan.

Completing the comprehensive revision of this 33-year-old guiding document is expected to take 18 months. The county started the process this week by soliciting feedback from residents.

The community’s passion for the island’s parks was demonstrated during the first two of five planned meetings seeking public input on the future of Kaua‘i’s park system.

On Tuesday night in Waimea, Westside residents agreed on the need for a regional park to serve as an economic stimulus and site for large tournaments.

Participants at Wednesday’s meeting in Kapa‘a said parks in the Kawaihau region need more trees to provide shade during sporting events and improve overall enjoyment of these Eastside areas.

Residents also identified more specific areas needing attention, including improvements to the Anahola Clubhouse and the need for upgraded equipment and fields.

“We can’t do the plan in a vacuum,” said Glenn Kimura of Kimura International, the O‘ahu-based planning and environmental services consulting firm contracted by the county to assist with the planning update.

Kimura said a master plan is an accurate reflection of public feedback and input and has gained acceptance by the Kaua‘i County Council and members of the community.

These first series of meetings are designed to review the planning process for parks, receive input on future improvements for county parks, and identify other issues which are important to meeting the needs of park users on Kaua‘i.

Three more meetings are scheduled for next week as part of the first round of three islandwide.

On Tuesday, the planning committee meets at the Koloa Neighborhood Center to discuss parks in the Koloa District from 6 to 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, the committee moves to the Kilauea Neighborhood Center to discuss parks in the Hanalei District, starting at 6 p.m.

On Thursday, residents wanting to discuss parks in the Lihu‘e District are invited to the Mo‘ikeha Building, Meeting Rooms 2A/2B, starting at 6 p.m.

Additionally, the public can offer input through the kauaiparks.org website when it becomes operational next week. Participants will be able to fill out a questionnaire discussing “likes,” “dislikes” and “visions.”

New restroom facilities and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements at Ha‘ena Beach Park, a facelift to Vidinha Stadium, playground equipment at the Puhi Subdivision and ‘Oma‘o parks, improvements to comfort stations at both Isenberg and Peter Rayno parks, installation of basketball courts at the ‘Ele‘ele Nani and Hanapepe Cliffside parks, and new ADA-compliant announcer booths at Isenberg and Kalawai parks are among the Parks and Recreation Department’s recently completed projects.

Voters created the department in 2006 through a County Charter amendment. The department, which Lenny Rapozo now heads, officially formed in 2007.

The current master plan was prepared in 1978, and the Kaua‘i County Council approved funding for its update in 2009.

Kimura said rather than start the revision in 2009, it made sense to wait until the results of the 2010 census to better gauge the changes in population and lifestyles over the more than three decades since the master plan was created.

Had the revision, which is expected to take about 18 months to complete, taken place in 2009, the population figures would be based on the 2000 census.

Understanding

the mission

The revision helps the county optimize the use and management of its facilities and provides an opportunity for dialogue and consensus-building among people and organizations with diverse viewpoints, Kimura said.

Based on the 2009 fiscal budget which ended in 2010, the Parks and Recreation Department operated on a budget of $12.3 million and employed 144 people, including full-time, part-time and contract employees.

Park maintenance and beautification accounted for $5.11 million of the budget with 71 people involved, being the largest segment of the budget.

Other major segments of the budget include the Wailua Golf Course ($2.37 million; 23 employees) and Recreation ($2.12 million; 18 employees).

The department’s mission is to enhance Kaua‘i’s special character and quality of life by caring for its parks and providing well-maintained facilities and diverse recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages.

Its duties include planning, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining all parks and recreational facilities of the county; develop and implement cultural, recreational, and other leisure-time programs for the people of Kaua‘i, and beautify the public parks and recreational facilities of the county.

All of the county’s parks and facilities are based within five districts on the island — Hanalei, Kawaihau, Lihu‘e, Koloa, and Waimea.

The Hanalei District, covering about 45 acres from the north of Moloa‘a through Ha‘ena, includes two neighborhood parks, five beach parks, one passive park, two community centers and a gym.

The Kawaihau District, covering a little more than 100 acres from Wailua through Moloa‘a, has one district park, six neighborhood parks, six beach parks, two passive parks, two community centers, a swimming pool and a bike path.

The Lihu‘e District, covering approximately 128.7 acres from a point between Po‘ipu and Nawiliwili to Wailua, includes one regional park (Lydgate), two district parks, 12 neighborhood parks, three beach parks, one community center, a golf course and the convention hall.

The Koloa/Kalaheo District, covering about 93 acres from outside Koloa through the ‘Ele‘ele Park, includes two district parks, seven neighborhood parks, three beach parks, one passive park, three community centers and two gyms.

The Waimea District, covering about 112 acres from ‘Ele‘ele through Mana, includes two district parks, 10 neighborhood parks, four beach parks, one passive park, four community centers and a swimming pool.

Park classifications, or types, help determine appropriate usage as well as allowing for orderly development to ensure that community needs are met.

Passive parks, also known as pocket or mini parks, are the smallest park classification and addresses limited or isolated recreational needs. Some of its uses are picnic areas, landscaped sitting areas, scenic overlooks.

Neighborhood parks are the basic unit of the park system and serves as a recreational and social focus of the neighborhood, developed for active and passive recreation. Neighborhood parks should be designed for residents of the service area and accommodate a wide variety of age and user groups.

District parks focus on the needs of several neighborhoods, or large sections of the community, accommodating group activities and recreational opportunities which are not feasible, or desirable at neighborhood levels.

Regional parks consolidate heavily programmed athletic fields and associated facilities at fewer, larger sites.

Regional parks are strategically located, provide scale economies, higher quality facilities, offer improved management and scheduling, better control of facility use, and relieve negative impacts to neighborhood and district parks.

During the current series of meetings and via online submissions, Kimura International will gather input on existing conditions and proposed park improvements.

Once collected, another series of meetings will be held to start the draft of the master plan.

Call 241-4460 or visit www.kauai.gov for more information.

• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or by e-mailing dfujimoto@ kauaipubco.com.