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Question: Several months ago the aging play structure at Koko Head Neighborhood Park was taken down. Although rusting, 98 percent of it was fine. The first mistake was instead of fixing what was broken, two workers spent hours boarding up one section. A couple of months later the whole structure was removed, I assume for safety reasons. What’s left is a rotted artificial surface with large areas missing and holes in the ground, creating safety hazards. This park is heavily used on weekends (and is a place) where families can enjoy the play equipment while their other children are participating in sports. Can you please get to the bottom of why the structure was removed and when a new one will be installed?
Answer: There are plans to replace the play structure, but no money has yet been appropriated, so there is no target date for when a new one can be built.
Despite your observation that the structure was sound, there were safety issues, said Todd Hiranaga, East Honolulu district manager for the city Department of Parks and Recreation.
“We had gotten several reports about the play apparatus’ condition from the public, as well as from constituents from the area’s representative,” he said. Parks staff assessed the structure in late 2012 and decided to have it removed.
The condition of the “resilient surfacing,” which covers a concrete foundation, is being monitored.
“When a play apparatus is removed, it is not always required that the remaining resilient surfacing also be removed unless it also poses a safety issue,” Hiranaga said. Removing it would expose the concrete base and any other “sublevel protrusions.”
“Our safety officer will make a recommendation whether complete removal of the resilient surfacing and other underlying remnants of the equipment is needed at this time,” he said.
Initially, it looked like a partnership with the community might lead to a new structure. The Parks Department was approached by a parent-school group with a proposal to raise funds for the project.
“With budget constraints and already dedicated (capital improvement project) funding, our department agreed this was an excellent opportunity to work with this organization to meet the needs of both the school and the general public,” Hiranaga said. “Unfortunately, the task of raising enough funding for the project became more of a challenge than expected.”
It would cost an estimated $100,000 to replace the structure with something similar.
The interested school group has opted to scale down its plans and build it on Department of Education property.
Hiranaga says the play structure is a priority in upcoming budget requests, but added that it will compete with similar projects in the East Honolulu district.
HOOK CHU CEMETERY
In Monday’s column about Maemae Chapel Cemetery, we referred to “Kawaiaha‘o Church’s Hook Chu Cemetery” in Pauoa Valley.
It is not Kawaiaha‘o Church, but the Akaka ohana that maintains the cemetery, said Sally Akaka-Truong.
Akaka-Truong’s parents, the Rev. and Mrs. Abraham Kahikina Akaka, are buried in that cemetery. The Rev. Akaka was a longtime pastor of Kawaiaha‘o Church.
Akaka-Truong explained that her grandfather Kahikina Akaka, followed by his sister Susan Taylor’s husband, Ross Taylor, and their sons, cared for the cemetery until Ross Taylor died.
“Now the Akaka ohana has it in the care of Patrick Taylor, Ross’ second son,” who lives nearby on Akaka Lane, she said. “He’d have names of the original four owners (of the cemetery), but they have all passed away.”
MAHALO
To all the Honolulu Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services crews and also to Kuakini Medical Center’s emergency room doctors and staff who performed their jobs most efficiently with compassion at 3 a.m. Feb. 22. — Grateful, M. Inouye
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