county priorities (again, still)

[kalakoa]

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/news...ele-ruling

County has $5M (twice the original estimate) for a park not wanted by the residents.

Fern Acres alternate egress (as an example) would only cost $2M, but we "can't afford" and "need extensive review/studies" before implementing.

How similar to the situation in HPP: County authorizes construction of a park while ignoring the access issue.

Maybe what we need is a "park" that's 20-feet wide and several miles long, with paved access for the maintenance crew?

[leilanidude]

I just read the article.
27 parking stalls for a $5 million dollar park with ball fields and basketball courts? I guess they don't really expect it to be used?

[kalakoa]

Check out the picture of the beautiful view from this park.

Now imagine an 18-foot chain-link backstop for the baseball diamond.

Desecration, pure and simple; where are the Protectors when we need them?

[Chunkster]

Billy Kenoi's park building binge with borrowed money is only now beginning to be closely examined. There are no doubt other bugaboos lurking in the flurry of construction.

As for the HPP park, there are indeed some issues, and they only begin with access. First, Ilagan is taking credit for something that was in the works under at least two previous council reps. I know because I attended some of the meetings. A previous and wiser version of the HPP board turned down the park due to the issue of increased maintenance cost on the road(s) leading to it. Many in HPP would rather have $5 million to maintain or improve the roads than a park that most will not use. So Ilagan and Kenoi teamed up to give us something that many don't want, that has unintended consequences, and is yet another example of buying off the voters with ga-ga baubles when more substantial, less feel-good infrastructure is what we really need.

Top that off with the fact that we all know it will cost more than it should and be paid for by running the county's bonded indebtedness near the sane limit, and all I can say is here we go again.

[Punatic007]

What a stunning tranquil park and the local residents want nothing to do with a ballfield there. Unbelievable priorities and spendings from our local criminal political system. Try calling the police on a friday or saturday night in Puna, unless there's gunshot or blood involved you get low prioritized and they may not have enough officers on duty to come out till the next day. But multiple millions to build a ballpark in a peaceful quiet rural area destroying the view and lifestyle of the residents. Wow.

[shockwave rider]

quote:

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Originally posted by Punatic007

What a stunning tranquil park and the local residents want nothing to do with a ballfield there. Unbelievable priorities and spendings from our local criminal political system. Try calling the police on a friday or saturday night in Puna, unless there's gunshot or blood involved you get low prioritized and they may not have enough officers on duty to come out till the next day. But multiple millions to build a ballpark in a peaceful quiet rural area destroying the view and lifestyle of the residents. Wow.

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Actually the police responded very quickly to a domestic disturbance on our street last night and stuck around as long as it took to resolve things, on a Friday night no less! Not the first time either. There is a lot wrong with the whole indebted ball field spending spree, including all the other cheaper ways people would like to be able to use parks, like walking trails, but you are really comparing apples and oranges here.

[BillyB]

Emily worked for a park in HPP, then Fred Blass sabotaged it because he wanted it in Pahoa. The HPP board didn't reject the park, they rejected the idea of deeding over 20 acres with no guarantee anything would ever happen. Greggor Ilagan resolved that objection by including a provision that the land would revert to HPP if the park was not built. Now it's moving forward.
I do not think talking about something qualifies as "in the works". Getting bus service in HPP was talked about, and talked about, for years, but it happened only after Ilagan prioritized it.

"Many in HPP would rather have $5 million to maintain or improve the roads than a park"

Many HPP residents would like to be taller also, but the choice is a locally designed park or 20 acres of useless liability we cannot afford to develop. And for the record a lot of HPP residents want a park. A park at that location has been in the HPP plan since the beginning.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

A park at that location has been in the HPP plan since the beginning.

So has development of a 20 acre commercial center with local shopping and space for other businesses. I think that would poll much higher than a park if you asked HPP residents. But then, a park won't take business away from a Keaau shopping center, will it?

“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
-Joseph Brodsky

[kalakoa]

http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/0...Page1.aspx

Section 4.2, page 15: "From the survey, the highest priority was for recreational facilities, such as parks and recreational/sports fields."

Section 4.3, page 16: "From the survey, the second highest priority was for the Town Center. Specifically, survey responses requested the following: retail, personal busineses, transit hub, medical services, light industry, elderly center/housing, farmers' market, gas station, post office, police/fire station, schools and libraries."

http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/0...Page1.aspx

http://www.hppoa.net/general-information...ster-plan/

Item 2.3.7, page 13: "The community wants village centers where public services and private sector jobs are available."

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

the highest priority was for recreational facilities

I found a partial summary of the poll results:
79% wanted a town/village center
74% wanted expanded bus service
No percentage listed for Recreational

Under "Survey Results Top Priorities" it lists Regional Town/Community Village Center ahead of Recreational.

I wish they had listed a numerical preference for Recreation, as I don't doubt it's high on the list. Neighbors I talk to overwhelmingly place an HPP business center at the top of their list (obviously that comes with a wide margin of error*).

http://www.hppoa.net/newsite/wp-content/...-adobe.pdf

* HPP survey was not scientific either, it was a summary of 400 mailed in responses from 8800 lot owners.


“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.”
-Joseph Brodsky