LIHUE — The first reading of an amendment that would change language in a county ordinance that would have ended vendor kiosks at Spouting Horn Park was heard Wednesday at the county council meeting.
LIHUE — The first reading of an amendment that would change language in a county ordinance that would have ended vendor kiosks at Spouting Horn Park was heard Wednesday at the county council meeting.
The original ordinance states that all commercial concessions at the park will be phased out by 2013, but County of Kauai Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo said they believe the kiosks are a good thing and help provide money for park maintenance, which is the reason for the proposed amendment.
“We’re going to reinvest in what we have at Spouting Horn, so we’ve gone through the process of getting a consultant, redoing the kiosk, the kiosk is very old and we’re going to redo the design so that it’s a better flow, to make it more appealing to attract more people,” Rapozo said.
There are other entities at other parks that want to do something similar to Spouting Horn, Rapozo told the council.
“We have held steadfast to protect these vendors so that they have a better chance of succeeding as opposed to what was happening,” Rapozo said.
They were at the point of permitting construction of the new kiosks when the planning department brought this to their attention.
“The purpose of the ordinance, it was all dated. It was not stricken. The purpose of this bill is to amend the ordinance. To continue to have vendors or concessioner’s at Spouting Horn. That’s all there is to it,” Rapozo said.
The proposed amendment passed Wednesday’s first reading and will now go onto the Parks and Recreation Committee and a public hearing.
While I support small business, I think that whole setup down there is tacky and really degrades the site. Wouldn’t it be nice if people could just enjoy the scenery without being hustled to spend money? Let regular stores take visitors’ money – they’re all selling the same stuff anyway.
The sidewalk markets in parks and waterfronts have been done in many places in such a way as to enhance the visitor experience and create something unique and differentiated from other similar locales. In Santa Barbara along the ocean for eg. the Parks & Rec Department- sponsored market, inspired by the sidewalk art shows of Europe and Mexico City is something the community is very proud of, has been well executed and is kept looking well and thriving. It can be a winner for all concerned, but as with any endeavor the county needs to get behind and oversee a successful and appealing design and execution. The huge beneficiary is the continued and enhanced revenue support for the improvement and upkeep of all our island’s parks.