09-20-2024, 06:23 PM (This post was last modified: 09-20-2024, 06:55 PM by ironyak.)
True to its name, HPP might get a (new) park, located at 25th and Kaloli, courtesy of the County. Featuring a pool, playground, soccer and baseball fields, tennis and pickleball courts, even dog and skate parks, it seems like quite the project. Other than those who don't use County services, anyone who wants to comment can do so here and there's a meeting on Oct 2 to discuss the EA and gather community feedback.
According to an article in today's Hilo Tribune Herald, the project will cost $100 million as currently planned. Where is that money going to come from? According to recreation director Maurice Messina:
“The whole project right now depends on what kind of funding we can get,” said Messina, who estimated the cost of building the park could be about $100 million. “A project this size, we’ll need to engage all our partners (for funding).”
Let me translate for those of you not conversant in the language called Countyspeak:
"Rather than use tax revenues or do a bond issue, we will spend years begging for money from the State, the Feds, and private foundations. In the meantime, the price will double, and we if we build anything at all, it will be ten years from now and something very small that we will describe as incremental and a great start."
It's premature to discuss funding when the neighbors haven't even weighed in with their "concerns" about traffic, noise, crime, "private roads that *we* pay for", sacred land, burial sites, impact to migratory bird patterns, etc.
09-21-2024, 05:27 PM (This post was last modified: 09-22-2024, 02:35 AM by ironyak.)
Rob Tucker - Pahoa got a $10M park for $28M.
And since that time, in addition to the park's many daily visitors, it's hosted hundreds of birthday parties, sports competitions, and dozens of whole school events like Ho'ike and graduation. Seems like the people are getting their money's worth? To quote the immortal George Bailey, "they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent (event) rooms and a bath(warm pool)?" :) Hopefully HPP's park will ultimately play a similar role for its denizens in due course.
(09-21-2024, 05:27 PM)ironyak Wrote: Rob Tucker - Pahoa got a $10M park for $28M.
And since that time, in addition to the park's many daily visitors, it's hosted hundreds of birthday parties, sports competitions, and dozens of whole school events like Ho'ike and graduation. Seems like people are getting their money's worth? To quote the immortal George Bailey, "they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent (event) rooms and a bath(warm pool)?" Hopefully HPP's park will ultimately play a similar role for its denizens in due course.
You must not be aware of the homeless and the "needle issue" that has plagued the park, resulting in some long-term closures.
The Pahoa park is fully public, as in "reachable via public road". An HPP Park won't be, unless County accepts one or more of HPP's "privately owned" roads. Why not a park for Orchidland, or Hawaiian Acres? Do those people not need somewhere to host birthday parties, sports competitions?
Hopefully HPP's park will ultimately play a similar role for its denizens in due course.