LYDGATE — Construction on the county’s new Kamalani Inclusive Playground began this week, according to the county Department of Parks and Recreation.
The playground is designed for keiki with developmental disabilities, Mayor Derek Kawakami said.
“This playground project is among my administration’s top priorities,” Kawakami said in a release. “Mahalo to the Department of Parks and Recreation, Friends of Kamalani, the Leadership Kaua‘i Class of 2022, and everyone involved to make this playground a reality for our children.”
The playground’s design addresses physical, social, emotional, sensory, communication and cognitive activities children with developmental disabilities encounter. The playground will also include swinging, spinning, sliding, climbing, and balancing equipment.
“Leadership Kaua‘i’s class of 2022 is excited to support the development of a project rooted in the community, initiated by the parents of children in search of inclusion and representation of all abilities, and enacted by a government willing to listen,” said Shana Marie Cruz of Leadership Kaua‘i’s class of 2022. “This project is very intimate to me and my family, being we have two special needs children. It is inspirational and breathtaking, that from a vision, a suggestion, and an idea from meeting with the Mayor two years ago and now construction will be taking place!”
Inspired Play LLC contracts the $400,000 project allocated from the General Fund, Capital Improvements Projects Fund, and the Lihu‘e District Special Trust Fund for Parks & Playgrounds Fund.
The estimated completion of the playground is spring 2022.
“Thank you to the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Mayor’s Office, Leadership Kaua‘i, and all the volunteers and stakeholders for bringing this project to fruition for our children with special needs,” said Tommy Noyes, General Coordinator, the Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park.
Who takes their kids to Lydgate with all the homeless?
You obviously haven’t been there for a while. The encampment has been cleared up and cleaned up. Even when the homeless encampment was there, they didn’t affect the playground or beach ponds in any way.
I took my kids there last weekend. Went to park in the soccer field parking lot, and a bunch of homeless told me I could not park in “their lot.” The county guy just drove right by, did nothing. Closing the campground and letting them take over the rest of Lydgate DOES affect all of us.
I go there all the time… would not take my kids there. Homeless still there with their dogs running loose. Don’t go in the comfort station alone.
I encourage the County to plant native Hawaiian plants at this new playground. It is important that these biological and cultural treasures become a routine part of all new public projects.
This seems nice, but I question Kawakami’s sense of what’s important if he considers it one of his “administration’s top priorities.” Really, a playground is one of your top priorities?!
If our keiki at Lydgate was a “top priority” he would instruct the county people to enforce the same rules we all have to follow on the homeless there instead of driving by them and doing nothing.