FINAL! MAY 8, 4:30 PM South Maui Community Park options to be presented next Thursday, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Kenolio Recreation Center, 131 S. Kihei Road.

4/22/19 #kihei #southmaui UPDATE FINAL meeting is WEDNESDAY May 8

Open House to review Final Concept for the South Maui Community Park Master Plan Update set for May 8

The public is invited to review the final master plan concept for the South Maui Community Park Master Plan Update during an open house early next month, according to the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation.The open house is from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, at the Kenolio Recreation Center located at 131 South Kihei Road. People may drop in any time while it’s open.

During the open house, visitors will see the final master plan concept and be able to speak directly to the project’s design team along with county staff. Background information on the park site also will be shown. The master plan has been prepared with the assistance of a project advisory team, comprising seven people who bring a variety of perspectives and expertise.

The advisory committee members are Bob and Lis Richardson, Ellen Federoff, Matt Thayer, Lehua Huddleston Hafoka, Alex Filipovic, Alec Beerer, and Brad Nuese. The committee met four times between November 2018 and March 2019.

Although the site is relatively small, the master plan includes a regulation baseball field, a multi-purpose field, additional parking, outdoor courts, a community events area, new restrooms, a site for a youth center and two large open spaces that can be used for a range of recreational activities.

The project focuses on the undeveloped portion of South Maui Community Park between the new South Maui Community Park Gymnasium (now under construction) and East Welakahao Road. A master plan was originally prepared many years ago but because of changes to what was built, the department believed that the plan should be updated.

“The master plan provides facilities that have been high-priority needs for a long time in the community,” Parks and Recreation Director Karla Peters said. “I’m especially happy with the way the advisory committee thought about the many challenges of the site. This partnership with the community is something we’re excited about.”

With the completion of the master plan, the consultant team will begin the preparation of detailed design and construction drawings. Construction for the first phase of the project is likely several years away, once funding and permits are secured. The consultant team is headed by R.M. Towill, a planning and engineering firm in Honolulu.

For more information, please contact David Yamashita, Planner VI, at 270-6508 or david.yamashita@mauicounty.gov.

1/29/19 #kihei

Do you have an opinion on the future development of our expanding community park?

The Parks and Recreation Department will offer three concepts for the undeveloped portion of the South Maui Community Park at a public meeting at the Kenolio Recreation Center, 131 S. Kihei Road, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on February 7th.

All of the proposed concepts include a small, outdoor amphitheater; open space; walking paths; sports courts; a sports field and more parking, said parks department planner David Yamashita.

The differences among the three plans are the amount of open space, type of sports fields, amount of parking and other recreational improvements, all of which affect the cost, said Yamashita.

One of the main issues is the slope and shallow topsoil depth with dense blue rock below. To reduce development costs, the amount of excavation and grading needs to be minimized, he said. This means, for example, developing a soccer field, which requires a large flat area, will be more expensive; therefore a soccer field may not be included in the plans due to costs.

At the meeting, the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation will provide sketches of the concepts and times at which point Kihei residents may talk with the project’s design team and county staff. Interested Maui residents may attend at any point of the open house.

The master plan update focuses on the undeveloped portion of the park, between the new, under-construction South Maui Gymnasium and East Welakahao Road.

After the open house, consultants and the project advisory committee will work with the department to select a concept and finalize the design. A second open house will present the final master plan, then the consultant team will start designs and construction drawings.

For more information, contact David Yamashita by phone at 808-270-6508 or email david.yamashita@mauicounty.gov.