‘Showcase of Hanalei’

HANALEI — When Randall Simao looks over Black Pot Beach Park, he likes what he sees.

This remodeled park, mostly destroyed in the April 2018 flooding, stands out like a shining jewel of Kauai.

“This is the showcase of Hanalei,” says Simao, supervisor of west beautification and parks maintenance with the county. “Black Pot, right here.”

He points out that with the removal and trimming of some bushes and trees, it has opened up a panoramic view of the ocean, which was something suggested by project consultants.

“When people come here, they can view the whole park and see what a nice spot it is,” Simao said.

The flood washed out the road leading to the beach, took out the restroom, created vast craters and caused other damage. While devastating, it also offered opportunity.

The park is expected to open in July.

“We had a chance, actually. Every time something bad happens, something good comes out of it, hopefully,” he said. “We had a chance to start fresh and start planning a new slate.”

Simao said perhaps the biggest improvement was eliminating beach parking.

“That is a big plus because now everything can be more environmentally conscious,” he said. “We can be more safe for people walking and using the beach. So that’s big improvement right there.”

The county also acquired the 1.5-acre beach front lot west of Black Pot that will add more park space, and it is in the process of finalizing the purchase of the boat ramp area and other facilities along the Hanalei River from property owner and resident Mike Sheehan.

A new, mobile comfort station that will be built to be moved in case of a hurricane, or as necessary, is expected to be finished and in place near the end of the year. Until then, porta potties will be used at Black Pot.

Other improvements:

w Vinyl fencing lines the park along Weke Road and there are new safety gates;

w Boulders line the ocean-side of the park to create separation from the beach and act as a barrier against vehicles, while cement pilings along the edge of the park were removed;

w The new parking lot, which has a roundabout for unloading and pickup, offers about 40 parking spots, and the grass field across Weke Road will offer about another 25 for overflow parking;

w The walkway up to the Hanalei Pier is more level;

Other details, such as connecting water to the new fountain and showers, some vegetation work, directional marking on Weke Road and parking lot painting, will put the cap on the estimated $6 million project.

Simao said more native trees and plants will be put in as well, which is something the community requested.

“Overall, these are some really nice, major improvements,” he said.

The grass field is ready for visitors — and some were already there Tuesday, using the pavilion near the edge of the beach.

The beach parking ban gives the county the ability to take more erosion control with the beach.

While beach parking will not be allowed and any drivers who drive around the boulders and park there will face citations, the issue of no beach parking isn’t a done deal just yet. The county will revisit it as it continues to work on the Black Pot master plan and takes more community input. Beach parking has been allowed there for decades, and many locals say it’s a must.

Simao and Pat Porter, director of parks and recreation, believe the Black Pot project came out nice, as it separated parking from the park.

“This is pretty much exactly what we wanted,” Simao said.