Hold your horses, stable backers say

A lease agreement to operate horse stables that a state lawmaker describes as the last remnant of paniolo culture in East Honolulu ends next week, prompting supporters to call for needed upgrades.

City officials, meanwhile, are weighing whether to close down Koko Crater Stables, which spans 10 acres in Koko Crater Botanical Garden, and revamp the land as part of a garden expansion in the 200-acre crater.

The Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board will address the matter at a meeting set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Hahaione Elementary School cafeteria. City officials from the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Enterprise Services are slated to discuss options for the site of the stables, which were constructed in 1960.

“The city is still exploring options and has not made a final decision on Koko Crater Stables,” said Parks and Recreation Director Michele Nekota.

The city maintains that there are safety issues tied to the deteriorating structures on the stables grounds. Officials are currently assessing building conditions. Also, Nekota said, “there’s no contract and no operator beyond the 31st that we have on board.”

Kristina Gilbertson of Stable Solutions Hawaii is wrapping up a one-year revocable permit.

“Having run it for the past year, I can see the problems associated with it,” said Gilbertson, whose tie with the stables dates back to 2003 when she started as a boarder.

Although she is not fully opposed to an expansion of the garden, Gilbertson said she would prefer to see horses on the acreage, with a new stables operator and improved building conditions.

The buildings are in disrepair and not safe for students, Gilbertson said. In addition to rotting wood in the rafters, the main building is termite-eaten and “ready to fall apart,” she said. Plus, “the waterlines are really bad on the property.”

State Rep. Gene Ward (R, Kalama Valley-Queen’s Gate-Hawaii Kai) contends that the city has failed to give the community adequate opportunity to provide input. A few days ago he initiated a survey in which more than 600 community members expressed support for keeping the stables.

“So many kids learned how to ride there,” Ward said. “It’s an icon for the paniolo culture. It’s the last vestige that we have in Hawaii Kai.”

The botanical garden doesn’t need to be expanded, he said. “There’s a peaceful coexistence between the two” at the garden, which was established in 1928 when the city acquired the property from the Estate of Bernice Pauahi Bishop.

In an effort to see the stables operation continue, Honolulu City Councilman Trevor Ozawa, who represents District IV, which includes Hawaii Kai and Kuliouou, is attempting to amend next year’s capital improvement fund budget to include $350,000 for Koko Crater Stables repairs.

Ozawa wants to see the funding help a business thrive and allow residents to continue enjoying stable services.

Meanwhile, all 10 horses that had been housed at Koko Crater were recently relocated to Waimanalo, North Shore and Barbers Point sites. The entrance gate to the stables has been locked since Saturday.

Regular user Lynn Heirakuji of Waialae said Koko Crater Stables is worth preserving because of its proximity to town and the natural beauty on the acreage.

“People come from all over to go to Koko Crater because of the beautiful setting,” Heirakuji said. “It’s a sacred place for me.”

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CORRECTION: Michelle Nekota is the director of the city Department of Parks and Recreation. An earlier version of this story and the st ory on page B1 of Friday’s paper said she was a deputy director.