Some seven years after volunteers helped build a quality campground at Lydgate Park and the county has yet to issue a single permit. Despite assurances from Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s administration that the campground would open this month, the Kaua‘i
Some seven years after volunteers helped build a quality campground at Lydgate Park and the county has yet to issue a single permit.
Despite assurances from Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s administration that the campground would open this month, the Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday voted to punt its decision down the road another two months.
This degree of government inefficiency is inexcusable.
Thousands of Kaua‘i families and visitors should have been able to take advantage of the campground by now. Instead, some 31 sites have sat vacant for almost a decade, save for providing an occasional home for vagrants.
Among the weak arguments used to delay putting this park into action is enforcement. We share this concern for the safety of all park users, but it fails to justify holding up everything.
If the county was truly worried about this issue to the point of not giving Lydgate campground a green light, then we should probably shut down camping at Hanama‘ulu, Black Pot and Salt Pond, which, among other county beach parks, have lax to little enforcement and often serve as sites for rampant drug use and other criminal activity.
There has been ample debate and more than enough meetings devoted to getting this campground running. It’s past time to move forward and on to more important matters.
We implore the county to establish camping at Lydgate Park without further delay. This means the Parks and Recreation Committee’s members need to advance the legislation to the full council for its approval at their next Wednesday meeting, and we expect the mayor’s signature on the bill to follow promptly thereafter.
Enough is enough. Seven years? Is that the best we can do?
