Find better uses for Kakaako parks

Public parks are an asset that require an ever-increasing outlay of cash resources to maintain. They have become magnets for the homeless population, so in addition to rising costs generally, the effect of itinerant encampments has been to increase maintenance needs.

These are parks not designed to weather this kind of more wear and tear. And the public is paying more for their upkeep, at the same time that the encampments have driven the public away.

Nowhere has this problem been more evident than in Kakaako Makai, under redevelopment by the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), which on Wednesday made the rational decision to transfer them to the city.

The vote was to give the city ownership of Kakaako Waterfront Park, the mauka and makai Kakaako Gateway parks between the waterfront and Ala Moana Boulevard, Kewalo Basin Park and other small parcels. Up to this point, city officials who had cleared encampments from the city sidewalks were unable to “sweep” homeless from the state-owned parks.

But clearing that jurisdictional barrier is not enough to ensure that residents finally feel secure about access to these underused public spaces. Alternative sites for the homeless, and more affordable housing, must be created, above all.

And the city must find a way to “activate” the parks, which now are so attractive to squatters.

HCDA officials say the legalities are still being worked out before the transfer can become final. That creates an opportunity for the city administration, and the City Council, to do some planning for ways to make these properties less passive.

Of course, the state agency already has done its own thinking about this. It was just last November that HCDA published its Kakaako Makai Parks Master Plan, which clearly documented the problem.

According to a survey conducted for the report, 38 percent of those polled said they perceived safety concerns because of the homeless encampments. It was the chief reason cited for not using the parks.

Among the ideas raised for activating the parks, residents favored sports facilities and family-friendly evening activities, nearly equally: They were listed by 23 and 22 percent, respectively.

Developers have had their own ideas. Five years ago, Alii International Enterprises sought an HCDA permit for an amusement park. The attraction would have featured a go-cart track, miniature golf course, a wave pool, skate park and various rides.

And this wasn’t the first such park proposal. In 1999, developer D. G. “Andy” Anderson envisioned a maritime-themed park on the state’s properties. A 130-foot-high Ferris wheel, a 60-foot carousel and a championship miniature golf course were sketched out among some of its major amenities.

The community was less than enthralled by these ideas. The right approach to activating these parks seems to lie somewhere between the all-too-quiet status quo and the pulsating carnival described in those plans.

Perhaps some element of the lower-key food-and-drinks establishment once envisioned for Ala Moana Park might be more appropriate in Kakaako Makai; food concessions also were popular among those polled in the master plan survey. Perhaps movable elements such as food trucks would work.

There could be other facets to bring people in, such as a performance space for programmed entertainment, appealing to local residents and visitors alike. The overarching purpose of the parks as open, recreational havens should be preserved.

What’s essential is that a plan for the parks’ use must be made. HCDA has committed to funding $600,000 in maintenance and security contracts through June 30, 2019, before the city must pick up the tab for that service.

If the city is going to be paying that kind of money for upkeep, then it should have a public amenity worthy of that investment.