WAILUA — After many years of providing a prime spot for barbecues and gatherings, the two northernmost pavilions at Lydgate Beach Park were demolished last week due to safety concerns, but new ones will be built by the year’s end,
WAILUA — After many years of providing a prime spot for barbecues and gatherings, the two northernmost pavilions at Lydgate Beach Park were demolished last week due to safety concerns, but new ones will be built by the year’s end, according to county officials.
“The cracks in the masonry columns were extensive and would have eventually led to the collapse of the pavilion,” county spokeswoman Mary Daubert said.
The pavilions, she said, are scheduled to be replaced as part of the Lydgate Beach Park Improvement project that is currently out to bid.
“Pending the results of the bid, construction could start as early as November,” Daubert said.
The plans are to build new pavilions that are the same size of the old ones; 13 feet by 7 feet, 6 inches.
The administration wanted larger pavilions, 18 feet by 14 feet, but keeping the size of the new structures identical to the old ones was a requirement for approval of a Special Management Area permit, according to Daubert.
“Given their proximity to the shoreline, the footprint of these structures could not be extended,” she said.
David Elindstrom, who frequents Lydgate Park daily, said rebars were sticking out from the pavilions’ columns, and it looked like a hazard.
He said the demolition last Wednesday was relatively quick — both structures went down in one day.
The cement slabs that once served as support for the pavilions were left in place for new structures, according to Daubert. She said the demolition is finished and the areas around the slabs were cleaned.
Lydgate Beach Park was transferred from the state’s jurisdiction to the county in 1969, she said.
