KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii Island — The corner of the county parking lot on Kuakini Highway, known as Triangle Park had been a gathering place for homeless, including campsites set up along the street until a coordinated effort reclaimed and beautified the area.
“At the recent Kailua Village Business Improvement District annual meeting, condo residents and others voiced their frustration with the growing homeless camp in the county parking lot and along the adjacent Kuakini Highway. The issues are too numerous to mention but they include defecation, intoxication, and other health and sanitary concerns,” said KVBID Executive Director Ross Wilson.
Wilson said KVBID’s vision is to work cooperatively to improve and maintain the physical appearance of public areas within the village.
In an effort to change the physical environment, KVBID enlisted Tropical Tree Care to trim the shower trees along Kuakini Highway, as well as the Monkey Pod and Royal Poinciana trees within the parking lot.
“Community police helped to clear the area and ticketed various cars for overnight parking and tagged an abandoned vehicle for towing later this week,” said Wilson.
Fields Masonry enlisted a bobcat and three workers moved six truckloads of a’a to rock scape various areas within the county parking lot.
Those efforts are designed to curb the illegal activities that have taken place at the park.
“In a effort to continue these efforts to clean up the area and to beautify it, KVBID is also working with YWAM Ships to schedule a volunteer workday later this month,” Wilson said.
Kailua Village Business Improvement District is awaiting bids to add additional landscaping to the area as well.
“And lastly, mahalo to county Public Works Director Steve Pause for his efforts to expedite re-striping the parking lot,” he said. “In a relatively short period of time, the overall appearance of the county parking lot and Triangle Park will be transformed. It’s truly takes a village to maintain the village. Mahalo for everyone involved for their support and kokua.”
The Kailua Village Business Improvement District, which extends from Walua Road mauka to the Henry Street area and north to Makala Boulevard area, was established in 2007 via county ordinance. Property owners within the boundaries pay mandatory assessments based on property tax valuations and that money is used to enhance, but not replace county services, in public areas.
Those services include cleaning and landscaping, providing security ambassadors, as well as implementing place-making and beautification projects, such as lighting trees and improving public areas and holding events to promote the area and its businesses, such as Kokua Kailua and Kailua Kalikimaka.
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Laura Ruminski can be reached at lruminski@westhawaiitoday.com
