HANALEI — “Enlarge bathrooms.” “I wanna hear the ocean and the wind in the trees, not loud music and noisy vehicles.” “Keep parking on the beach — more social.” These were among the comments penned on Post-it notes and stuck
HANALEI — “Enlarge bathrooms.”
“I wanna hear the ocean and the wind in the trees, not loud music and noisy vehicles.”
“Keep parking on the beach — more social.”
These were among the comments penned on Post-it notes and stuck on poster boards Tuesday night by community members concerned about the future of Black Pot Beach Park.
A master plan that maps Black Pot’s future was the topic of a community meeting attended by more than 100 people at Hanalei Elementary School.
The master plan will set a vision for Black Pot Beach Park over the next 20 years.
“We haven’t done any planning yet,” said Scott Ezer, principal of HHF Planners, the Honolulu-based planning firm leading the effort. “We want to hear what people have to say. We are strictly in an information gathering mode and tonight is part of that process.”
Black Pot is a 5.46-acre county park on the eastern end of Hanalei Bay with restrooms and outdoor showers, pavilions, portable toilets, picnic tables and weekend camping access.
“This is truly the first meeting to talk about our beautiful Black Pot Beach Park that we have been talking about for years,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. “I’m excited because this is a chance to get on and move.”
Black Pot, as well as other parks in the Hanalei district, is in “high need” of expansion, according to the Parks and Recreation Department’s Master Plan for Kauai County. The bathrooms need better upkeep. The boat ramp needs addressing. The current culture of driving and parking on the beach is inconsistent with the law.
Simply put, Black Pot’s current usage exceeds the capacity of its current facilities.
“This doesn’t mean everything is going to happen tomorrow or next year but we need to have something that will guide the county in the development of Black Pot,” Ezer said, adding that the master plan will not be law, but rather a guiding document. “The goals of the master plan are to improve the management of the land and the resources. We would like to improve the experience for all users and user safety.”
That includes respecting the wishes of residents to protect their way of life with regard to the beach park, Ezer said.
“We know that parking is the most, if not one of the most important issues that people are concerned about,” he said.
Tuesday’s meeting continued past The Garden Island’s deadline. Another story reporting on the rest of the meeting will be published Thursday.
