Editorial: Don’t waste effort to improve parks

A significant fraction of Honolulu’s parks are on track for an efficiency upgrade, in a project that will also include tackling a batch of frustratingly deferred maintenance.

It’s about time.

Much of the island’s park infrastructure is severely outdated, and in a twist of fate, that outdated infrastructure will now pay for upgrades, in a sense: Installing energy-efficient lighting and electrical systems, water-efficient plumbing and irrigation, and new chlorine-producing saltwater systems at 14 city park pools will save the City &County of Honolulu an estimated $97 million in utility costs over 20 years, and $3.4 million in the first year alone.

Clearly, though, enabling deterioration should not be part of any maintenance game plan. The public deserves better.

One out of six city parks on Oahu — 49 in all — are in store for improvements, and work has already begun. Massachusetts-based energy efficiency firm NORESCO, which won the contract through competitive bidding, expects to complete work within two years.

If this package of projects goes as planned, it’s likely that more parks will be scheduled for upgrades. That kind of virtuous cycle is welcome.

Now let’s be sure that parks, once upgraded, don’t fall victim to the neglect, i.e. deferred maintenance, that currently plagues too many of our public facilities. Pools out of service for years, malfunctioning bathrooms, unsafe sidewalks — this disarray does not serve Oahu’s taxpaying residents and should not be tolerated.

Guarding against this discouraging state requires close attention and regular upkeep. Vandalism poses an added threat to city parks, and at a cost this year (so far) of more than $339,000, it’s an issue that needs to be addressed in more than a piecemeal way.

Vandalism is a constant issue for the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), it reports. Graffiti, damaged/broken bathroom fixtures, damaged trees, broken irrigation lines and even arson are common problems. And the cost of repairs, which peaked at more than $350,000 in 2020, do not include replacement of extensively damaged structures, paid for with the city’s capital improvement funds.

With costs this high, it’s likely that a concerted effort and actions to deter vandalism would also pay for itself.

Honolulu Councilman Augie Tulba, chair of the Parks and Community Services Committee, suggests “activating” park facilities by encouraging public use with programs and events. Cultural and educational programming are natural fits.

Community involvement can turn a park around, though without support and intervention by the city, it’s an uphill trek. Aala Park in Chinatown, where APB Skateshop owner Chad Hiyakumoto has been involved for 20 years, is a case in point.

Troubled by graffiti at Aala’s skate park, Hiyakumoto asked the city for paint to cover it. The city didn’t respond immediately, he said, but he eventually prevailed, painting over graffiti in the skate park area and the bathrooms, and organizing fellow skaters as volunteers.

“The more I did it, the longer (the graffiti) would take to come back,” he said. However, drug dealing and crime in the park — issues Hiyakumoto couldn’t control — continued to discourage common public use.

More recently American Savings Bank has become involved, after building its campus across the street from Aala Park. With more use, problems lessened. That’s a promising trend.

“Ultimately we need the help of the community to keep a watchful eye on our parks,” DPR spokesperson Nate Serota told the Star-Advertiser. That may seem reasonable, but in truth, the condition of Honolulu’s parks depends on core city support. Bringing staffing up to snuff would help, as would a more robust campaign to enlist community volunteers.

It’s up to the city and DPR to actively monitor and evaluate park needs, and make a long-term plan for upkeep, including protective action, as necessary. Ultimately, it’s a matter of commitment.