Letters for Friday – March 25, 2005

• Costco and pavilion

• Olohena Bridge solution

Costco and pavilion

The County of Kaua‘i Planning Division’s staff report on the Costco project in its preliminary report finds that “The Kukui Grove Pavilion will be displaced to make way for the new building.”

The “new building” is indeed Big Box, Big Time Costco!

The Planning Division goes on to say that the Kukui Grove Pavilion “is considered a landmark structure associated with many local and regional social events for the island held through the year.”

Grove Farm, owners of the land said “they acknowledged at the onset of the project” (Kukui Grove Shopping Center) “that the Pavilion and surrounding passive park environment would be indefinite temporary since land is zoned General Commercial and because market conditions would ultimately determine the use of the land and commercial expansion in this direction” …The direction of the Pavilion!

Many families on Kaua‘i believe that Costco should not destroy the pavilion or take over the parkland without replacing the pavilion on another park site that is convenient to the residents of all of Kaua‘i.

We, the citizen’s of Kaua‘i, have great respect for the County Planning Division’s good judgment. Please send the word out to the people of the consequences of building another ugly Big Box and then charging them $40 a year per membership after they have ripped away another piece of the soul of Kaua‘i.

Jane Taylor

Kapa‘a

Olohena Bridge solution

With all the fuss surrounding the replacement of this bridge, why can’t politics be set aside and just get the job done. If I remember correctly, there wasn’t this much controversity over replacing the bridge to Hanalei.

Why can’t a bridge be prefabricated and set in place once the foundation is completed? Seemes to me that this would aleviate a long road closure. This isn’t “rocket sience”. And by the way, lets get someone to fix all the potholes or repave Olohena Road. It’s a mess.

J.D. Allen

Wailua Homesteads