Proposed Parking Lot on Ponahawai Street
Parking has always been identified as one of the top concerns in Downtown Hilo. This is a proposal for a Parking Lot on Ponahawai Street on the parcel of land that runs along Alenaio Stream. Ideally, any new parking areas should be located on the edge of Downtown Hilo to encourage a walkable, pedestrian friendly and safe town. This parking lot would provide approximately 70 parking spaces for businesses, relieve some vehicular congestion on Kamehameha Ave., and be within a short walking distance to the farmer’s market, restaurants, and shopping areas. It could also be used as a parking area for special events at Mooheau Bandstand and the soccer fields. The Hilo Bayfront Trails Master Plan also identifies this location as a small parking area to accommodate trail users.
The two aerial photos show 1) a Detailed Parking Lot overlay and 2) an Overview of the Proposed Parking area plus an adjacent open space area fronting Kilauea St. that could include park amenities as a gateway to Downtown Hilo.
If this parking lot is built, it will need to be paved, meet ADA requirements, and among others, crosswalks would need to be placed. Perhaps, a permeable pavement system can be explored. The coconut trees would need to be removed, however, new trees and native landscaping could be planted.
This area is actually a portion of a larger parcel, TMK: 2-2-6:1, which wraps around to Kamehameha Ave. where the soccer fields are located. As part of the Alenaio Stream Flood Control project, there is a berm which guides water away from Downtown and towards the open soccer fields which serve as a drainage basin for heavy rains or flooding.
The subject parcel is owned by the County of Hawai‘i, zoned ‘Open’, located within the Special Management Area, and in the VE Flood Zone. An Environmental Assessment and Special Management Area Use Assessment would need to be completed. The Corp of Engineers would also need to be consulted on any parking plans. This project would require capital funding. Please share your comments, concerns, and suggestions.
EDH 2025 Primary Focus Area: Managing Growth
Secondary Focus Area(s): Creating Economic Vitality
December 29, 2011
Top Comments
FYI update. Please see my comments on the” Proposal to Increase Parking In Downtown Hilo” re: moving the bus terminal to Ponahawai Street dated November 28, 2011. The existing bus terminal building would also be a great place to feature our County’s culture and arts educational programs and increase activities at the adjoining Bandstand.
Aloha Ken, you are absolutely correct in your comments. Thinking outside the box a bit, I wonder how difficult it would be to move the parking lot for the Kona Workers down one or two parking lots on Kamehameha Ave. then make the parking lot currently used by the Kona workers a reserved parking lot for business owners and vendors. Business owners and vendors could register to get a decal to put on their vehicles and reserve that parking lot for decaled vehicle only. Also, wouldn’t it be cool to have a “Sampan Shuttle” running from the hotels and other parking lots to the downtown area. This would help with the congestion of the downtown traffic. I notice that you take a pro-active approach by parking on Kilauea street, several blocks from Hilo guitars. I spent this morning in the park across from your store. Definately, more attention needs to be paid to that area but it is a nice place (could be) to relax. This may be a mute point if the maintenance crews keep weed-eating the roots of the coconut trees they will die anyways. Some already are.
Farmers Market should increase business for local business in the Downtown area.Unfortunately it has an adverse affect due to the fact that parking is impossible on those days due to the fact that the vendors plus customers take up any surplus parking.
A project like this would be welcomed by all of the Downtown business owners.Keep in mind if customers do not shop Downtown due to lack of parking there will be no Downtown if Shops cannot stay open.We need all the help that we can get especially in this economic downturn and the cost of importing goods due to the rise in gas prices.Ken Cameon owner Hilo Guitars on PONAHAWAI ST.
Parking is a critical need. A parking lot on Ponahawai is a great idea. I agree with Alice — the palm trees should not be removed — maybe just moved. We are losing too many trees in downtown and beyond. Surely there is a way to include the majestic palms in a parking lot plan.
FYI update. Please see my comments on the” Proposal to Increase Parking In Downtown Hilo” re: moving the bus terminal to Ponahawai Street dated November 28, 2011. The existing bus terminal building would also be a great place to feature our County’s culture and arts educational programs and increase activities at the adjoining Bandstand.
Could the footprint of the parking lot be reduced if the parking were at a smaller angle than 90 degrees and all the cars went in one direction around a loop? How prominently identified are the current parking lots? signing and that sort of thing? What are the pedestrian and bike connections between the parking facilties and the destinations? It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the parking and the attractions if users can’t comfortably travel between the two.
Aloha Ken, you are absolutely correct in your comments. Thinking outside the box a bit, I wonder how difficult it would be to move the parking lot for the Kona Workers down one or two parking lots on Kamehameha Ave. then make the parking lot currently used by the Kona workers a reserved parking lot for business owners and vendors. Business owners and vendors could register to get a decal to put on their vehicles and reserve that parking lot for decaled vehicle only. Also, wouldn’t it be cool to have a “Sampan Shuttle” running from the hotels and other parking lots to the downtown area. This would help with the congestion of the downtown traffic. I notice that you take a pro-active approach by parking on Kilauea street, several blocks from Hilo guitars. I spent this morning in the park across from your store. Definately, more attention needs to be paid to that area but it is a nice place (could be) to relax. This may be a mute point if the maintenance crews keep weed-eating the roots of the coconut trees they will die anyways. Some already are.
Farmers Market should increase business for local business in the Downtown area.Unfortunately it has an adverse affect due to the fact that parking is impossible on those days due to the fact that the vendors plus customers take up any surplus parking.
A project like this would be welcomed by all of the Downtown business owners.Keep in mind if customers do not shop Downtown due to lack of parking there will be no Downtown if Shops cannot stay open.We need all the help that we can get especially in this economic downturn and the cost of importing goods due to the rise in gas prices.Ken Cameon owner Hilo Guitars on PONAHAWAI ST.
Just out of curiosity, how many general public parking lots already exist in Hilo? How many side street parking spaces exist? How many “other” parking spaces exist? If we displace the coconut trees, where do we move them too? Let’s make sure that the existing parking lots already in place are utilized to the fullest extent before digging up yet another patch of grass or digging up more trees. There are more places to park than places to sit and eat lunch or read. Please consider alternative ways to make Hilo comfortable for everyone.
We need fewer cars and more trees. Park in the under-utilized lots by Bayfront and catch a sampan. Encourage people to walk, bicycle, Segue, skateboard, etc. Have a couple of sampans running shuttle service from the lots to Downtown.
I love Alice’s idea of picnic benches, interpretive signs. What about a nice little pavilion and lua between the existing trees? There could even be mini concerts in the pavilion.
We need fewer cars and more trees.
Today I saw the parking lot across the street from Bayfront Motors literally empty. Just a few cars. Further on down the road by the Canoe Clubs the there was one car in the entire parking lot. Again, there is no need for additional parking lots. We need to encourage people to walk or bicycle in to Hilo. We don;t need more parking instead we need less cars.
Parking in this area can be doe sensitively w/o removing too many trees. It is the closest area to downtown and near the epicenter of the parking problem, generated weekly around the farmer’s market. I don’t see Open space as a key issue here. The adjoining 200 acres of bayfront are wide open so scarcity isn’t the issue. Parking in this area is already part of the Bayfront trails plan and has been cleared as such through the EA and SMA permit granted to Bayfront Trails.
I think we need to promote less traffic downtown. I do not support building any more parking lots and especially if it means cutting down long standing trees that only enhance our community. We need to preserve all the grassy areas and stop thinking about paving areas for parking lots. There are too many cars speeding through Hilo already. Instead let’s promote a healthy community by encouraging people to walk more or bicycle. Of course we have to think of our Kupuna and the disabled who could not necessarily do either so allowances for them would need to be made. I know this is not a popular suggestion but each day I walk from my house to Hilo there are more and more cars especially with only a driver in it congesting the streets of the town.
I agree we need more parking in downtown Hilo. I would also hate to see those coconut palms cut down and would like to see them either moved to another location or else, as Alice says find a creative way to add parking w/o removing the palms.
I hate it when I see perfectly good trees, palms or plants being cut down unnecesarily. There have been too many of those incidents around Hilo already. Good trees come down, nothing is done in the location and then the trash trees take over – two examples: corner of Kekuanaoa and Mililani Street and all along the airport side of Kanoelehua. Perfectly good trees were cut down and now the trash trees are having a field day!
Another example: when the new County Building was built, there was a gorgeous Puakinikini tree near the corner of Pauahi and Kilauea. It was chopped down to plant a “uniform border” around the perimeter…some of those Ohia and ferns planted there have never ‘taken’ or have died, but the beautiful Puakinikini was killed when it could have been incorporated into the “new landscape”
We have a tropical rainforest climate. We are a unique place. We have a beautiful city on a gorgeous bay and we keep cutting trees down and paving over…Why can’t we build on our assets instead of forcing mainland views?
Friday, January 20, 2012: For information purposes, Rey Mishina and Susan Gagorik counted coconut trees. There is a total of approximately 37 trees in the open area fronting Ponahawai Street. Based on the initial concept drawing for a proposed parking lot, approximately 28 trees would be displaced, replaced, or transplanted elsewhere; leaving approximately 9 trees in the open area closest to Kilauea Street.
The latest redition of this proposed parking lot balances the preservation of ‘green space’, locating it in close proximity to downtown. Lets do it!
Parking is a critical need. A parking lot on Ponahawai is a great idea. I agree with Alice — the palm trees should not be removed — maybe just moved. We are losing too many trees in downtown and beyond. Surely there is a way to include the majestic palms in a parking lot plan.
I reluctantly agree with this proposal, but can’t “like” it, yet. Many of Alice’s concerns are mine, as well. It would be a shame to remove the coconut trees. Since this area is now a park (of sorts, I think there is a sign there somewhere to this effect), there is on-going tree cleaning, already, right?
Second, I highly encourage the use of “grass-crete” or some other permeable surfacing rather than paving. The idea is to keep the water from sheeting off into gutters or forcing a storm drain project with added capital expense. No matter if the grass-crete isn’t “grassy,” a permeable surface is a “green” solution. I suppose the Environmental Assessment will address this point.
It is clear additional parking is needed downtown along with more pedestrian/biking-friendly improvements. This solution should go hand-in-hand with the proposed improvement to the existing parking across Kamehameha on the bayfront. And, for the future, the area by Shipman mentioned by Alice might be a fine spot for a multi-level parking structure.
I work for the DIA and yes, we posted this project but the following comments are my own personal feelings that I feel I should be able to share with everyone, regardless of who I work for.
I feel that it would be a shame to cut those tall, old coconut trees down – they cannot be replaced. Can’t some be saved? Or how about using the other area on that parcel where the berm is? Isn’t there some creative engineer out there who can design a parking lot that could be built on/around/behind the berm and would still serve to guide water away from Downtown and towards the open soccer fields which serve as drainage basin for heavy rains or flooding? Since the project isn’t a quick fix, and will take capital funds, can we please look at doing something more creative and save the trees?
I also think there are other peripheral areas of Downtown that could be developed as parking lots (ex: grassy area above library and Methodist church on Waianuenue) or expand the existing lots (ex: next to the Armory on Shipman).
I’d like to see “Coconut Grove” (as it is informally called) remain a nice open space, perhaps with some picnic benches and interpretive signage telling the stories of Downtown Hilo, Ponahawai Street and those trees.
My opinion only, mahalo — Alice