Now that fences have been erected to keep vehicles away from youngsters at Kamalani Kai Bridge, and the Kamalani Pavilion construction is finished, concerned citizens are ready to turn their attention to other Lydgate Park issues, according to county officials.
Now that fences have been erected to keep vehicles away from youngsters at Kamalani Kai Bridge, and the Kamalani Pavilion construction is finished, concerned citizens are ready to turn their attention to other Lydgate Park issues, according to county officials.
A public meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday, April 28, at 5:15 p.m. at the Lydgate Park main pavilion, with drug use at the park, increased littering in the area, inappropriate use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on the beaches, and degradation of the area’s vegetation all on the agenda.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their ideas for care of the beaches, some of which will likely be incorporated into a beach-management plan, explained Tim Bynum, community-response specialist with the county Office of Economic Development.
The public-meeting process that yielded the community’s concern that the Kamalani Kai Bridge safety issue should be addressed first before other concerns are tackled, is continuing now, with the focus on other issues at the park, Bynum said.
Almost everyone in attendance at the earlier meetings agreed more care was needed for the Lydgate Park-area beaches, and offered ideas for potential improvements, he explained.
Community members will come together again to solidify those ideas into a plan to protect the beaches while maintaining the desired access, he said.
“This process is yet another example of how caring people in the community can come together to create acceptable solutions,” he added.
At Kamalani Kai Bridge, the rocks which had blocked vehicular access under the bridge to the beach have been removed, after volunteers completed erecting fencing to separate young bridge-users from those using the sandy area under the bridge to gain access to the beach.
This was the solution arrived at as a result of two public meetings called by Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste earlier this year.
With the safety issue addressed, community members now look toward other ways of improving Lydgate Park-area beaches, Bynum said.
Community members had expressed concern to Baptiste about children playing in close proximity to vehicles passing under the Kamalani Kai Bridge.
Recognizing the importance of public safety, Baptiste took temporary measures to protect children by placing boulders near the bridge, preventing vehicles from passing under the structure.
Public meetings were then organized to encourage community input on how the situation could be permanently resolved.
While raising questions about other issues related to the Lydgate Park beach areas, community members first agreed to resolve the safety concerns.
A fence has since been constructed around the play area of the bridge, a result of volunteer efforts during the recent Kamalani Pavilion community build.
The boulders have been removed, and children are being kept out of the path of vehicles.
Anyone with questions about tomorrow’s meeting or issues at Lydgate Park may contact Bynum, 241-6398, or e-mail him at tbynum@kauaigov.com.
The Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park plan a separate meeting to discuss structure maintenance and other priority projects this Thursday, April 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the Ali‘i Room of the Aloha Beach Resort in Wailua.
