Residents upset over plans to turn Glenwood Park into a parking lot

HAWAII ISLAND—On any given weekend, across the street from Hirano Store on Highway 11, you will see a pavilion next to a public bathroom where local old-timers talk story late into the night. Lately, complaints about changes to the park have been common at these talk sessions. Park users are upset because the picnic table they’ve been sitting on for years is now gone. While it seems the removal of the bench was an attempt to deter use of Glenwood Park, many still continue to frequent the public facility. When asked about the bench, Hawaii County officials said it was in reaction to reports of drinking and drug use.

Diane Kramer, who works as an aide for Hawaii County Councilman Guy Enriques, said that the councilman also has his eyes on the site for one of many park-and-ride facilities that are in the planning stages for Hawaii Island. The purpose of these stations is to encourage the use of mass transit and carpooling.

Kramer confirmed that the bench’s removal is intended to discourage public drinking and other illegal activities in the area. She also said the decision to remove the bench was made after the death of a park user who allegedly had been drinking there was hit by a car after leaving Glenwood Park.

“Our office has met with [the park users] and they’re very very sad [about the changes to the park],” Kramer said. “They just want a place to hang out, but I just don’t understand why they don’t just hang out at home.”

Glenwood Park was originally intended to be a rest stop coming out of Kau or the west side, which is a two-hour drive. The park is about a quarter acre consisting of grass, a pavilion, bathroom, water tank, septic tank, and a few parking stalls.

Enriques’ plan to turn the area into a park-and-ride requires the transfer of the land from the State to the County. Kramer could not say when that would occur.

When Youth News for The Hawaii Independent asked the long time park users to share their thoughts regarding the possibility of losing the park altogether, “It would be unjust,” was a frequent comment.

Park users said that Glenwood Park was originally donated by the nearby Hirano Store and that the water tank and septic system would be a loss for the community—some of the neighboring homes rely on the park’s bathrooms heavily.

Kramer said that the water tank will be removed for the park-and–ride facility, which is essentially a parking lot located next to a bus stop. It is still unclear if restrooms will be put into plans for the park-and-ride.

As Hawaii continues to make changes to adapt to a growing population, the effects of land use changes on old-time Hawaii will continue to come to a head with the island’s local sense of place.