A proposal to establish the county’s first campground where fees will be charged to camp, at Lydgate Park in Wailua, has been sent by Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste to members of the Kaua‘i County Council for action. Baptiste said an
A proposal to establish the county’s first campground where fees will be charged to camp, at Lydgate Park in Wailua, has been sent by Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste to members of the Kaua‘i County Council for action.
Baptiste said an ordinance calling for establishment of 31 campsites by Kamalani Kai Bridge was sent to council-members recently.
The proposal includes plans for barbecue pits, picnic tables, parking, and security programs.
But a councilmember, who spoke privately in response to the proposal, said Baptiste has jumped the gun in trying to get the project off the ground, as the measure has yet to be acted upon by councilmembers.
Many questions remain on whether the project is feasible, or whether there are funds and manpower to maintain it, the legislator said.
Minor work on the project has moved forward, spurred on by public enthusiasm and support for it, Baptiste indicated. He acknowledged the proposal rests in the hands of members of the council, but hopes councilmembers will render a favorable decision in response to a call for it by a growing number of residents and members of community groups.
Should the councilmembers give the go-ahead, the new project could be up and running in a month’s time, Baptiste said.
A first for the county will be three campsites that will be in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and will be geared for the physically-challenged, Baptiste said.
The entire project will further enhance Lydgate Park’s value as a regional park in East Kaua‘i, which boasts the largest population on the island, he noted.
Baptiste said work to raise two pads on which the ADA-compliant campsites will be placed is moving forward even though council-members have yet to approve his ordinance.
He said he has confidence the project will get the green light because the undertaking is “community-driven.”
Kauai Builders received $2.7 million to build a comfort station, park-maintenance facility, 2.4 miles of the bike and pedestrian path, the raised ADA campsites, and some signs, according to county officials.
“The whole project is community-driven,” Baptiste said. “They came up with a list of suggestions which we incorporated in our plans. The entire Lydgate master plan really showcases how collaboration among different groups in the community can result in great things.”
Residents and representatives from the Kapaa Business Association and neighboring properties, including Aloha Beach Resort-Kauai, Kaha Lani condominiums and the Wailua Golf Course, which is also owned by the county, discussed what they would like to see for the campground project.
Tim Bynum, who as a county community-response specialist heard recommendations from the public, said “all their ideas were taken into consideration.
“I think the campgrounds are something we can be really proud of,” he said. “It offers families another great activity at Lydgate.”
Each of the 27 campsites will have tables, a level pad for a tent and a barbecue, and can accommodate up to five people for each 10-foot-by-10-foot site, and 10 people for each 20-foot-by-20-foot site.
The project also proposes a large tent site able to accommodate up to 200 campers, and involves the exclusive use of a campground pavilion.
The entire project includes the construction of comfort stations with private showers, parking stalls by the campsites, and unobstructed views, county officials said.
The ADA campsites will have paved parking and access lanes to be built next to the camping areas, along with accessible picnic tables, Baptiste said.
Those planning the project felt the charging of fees could help defray some of the daily cost to operate the campsites, Baptiste said.
Councilman Mel Rapozo has led the charge among councilmembers to have administration officials determine whether maintenance funds are available before pursuing any projects.
Baptiste said a $5 fee will be assessed for the use of each campsite per Kaua‘i resident per day, and $25 per day for each campsite used by off-island folks and visitors.
Kaua‘i County is the only county in the state whose leaders do not charge for camping at county parks, Baptiste said.
The new campsites will be opened up for public use five days a week, leaving two other days open for maintenance, Baptiste said.
Campers can use campsites at existing county parks for no more than a total of 60 days each year. The same condition would apply to the new project, he said.
Security was a key matter raised by those who planned the new campsite project, according to Bernard Carvalho, director of the Kaua‘i County Offices of Community Assistance.
In that vein, a new county park-ranger position was created to augment the work of two other park rangers who travel among county parks to check permits and to make sure camping rules are complied with, Carvalho said.
Adjusting the schedule of workers figures to help provide a sense of security at the proposed campground project, Baptiste said.
County-park personnel met and decided it would be in the best interest of the public to stagger the schedules of a caretaker, so that one of them could be at the park until 8 p.m.
The caretaker could summon Kaua‘i Police Department officers if trouble starts up.
To help with security, KPD leaders have agreed to support park operations by sending patrol cars to the camping areas on a regular basis, Baptiste said.
The councilmember who is known to The Garden Island but asked not to be identified said people should not be lulled into a sense of security by the promise, as police resources are taxed.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been paid out in overtime in the past year to ensure police services on the island are adequate.
However, overtime funds have been made available as a result of an increase in real-property-tax revenues, the councilmember said. That has come about because of higher property assessments created by a still-hot real estate market.
