State Seal

 

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

 

News Release

     LINDA LINGLE              

           GOVERNOR

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                       LAURA H. THIELEN, CHAIRPERSON

                                                                                                                                       Phone: (808) 587-0401

                                                                                                                                       Fax: (808) 587-0390

                                                                                                                                             

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release: December 13, 2007

  

DLNR Holds Public Hearings On Proposed Changes
To Parking Rules At State Small Boat Harbors

HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) invites the public to hearings statewide starting next week to provide input on proposed amendments to administrative rules relating to parking at small boat harbors.

The proposed rule amendments are needed to allow the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) to:

  • more effectively manage motor vehicle parking within the state small boat harbors and related facilities;
  • provide additional security that will be a requirement of a parking management permit;
  • increase fees to provide additional funds to improve state boating facilities;
  • fund other boating program activities; and
  • comply with HRS 91-5(a) requiring revision and compilation of rules every 10 years.

“The input we receive from the public will be valuable as we work to standardize parking rules statewide as part of our ongoing effort to improve management of all of our boating facilities, including providing enhanced parking services,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson, who noted that the current parking rules are specific only to the Ala Wai and Lahaina small boat harbors.

“We believe that the proposed changes are reasonable and equitable, and would help the state better manage boating facilities, improve services and generate additional funds that can be used to make much needed improvements at small boat harbors around the state,” she said.

The hearings schedule is:

O‘ahu – 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, December 19, Jefferson Elementary School cafeteria, 324 Kapahulu Avenue

Hawai‘i – 5:30 – 7 p.m., Wednesday, December 19, Waimea Senior Center, 67-1199 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela

Kaua‘i – 1-3 p.m., Saturday, December 22, Wilcox Elementary School Cafeteria, 4319 Hardy Street, Lihu‘e

Lana‘i – 5-8 p.m., Thursday, December 27, Lana‘i Public and School Library, Fraser Avenue, Lana‘i City;

Maui – 5-7 p.m., Friday, December 28, Lahaina Intermediate School Cafeteria, 871 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina.

All interested parties are invited to attend and to present their views on the proposed amendments, either orally or in writing.

Written statements may be submitted at the public hearing or to the Chairperson up to one week following the last public hearing date.

DLNR held three public meetings earlier this year with users of the Ala Wai harbor area to begin a dialogue on a range of possible options for addressing parking problems that include: activities taking place at the harbor after hours, and the amount of parking being taken up by non harbor users such as construction workers and employees in the surrounding area, which reduces the parking available for recreational users.

 

Based on public feedback at the meetings, and in order to incorporate and balance as many concerns as possible raised by the various user groups, an amended plan for parking rule changes at the Ala Wai small boat harbor currently proposes to:


1) dedicate the helipad area, approximately 130 parking stalls, as free parking for recreational and harbor users;

2) continue to provide permit parking with rate increase from approximately $1.67 a month to $25 a month, which is equivalent to the City and County employee rates; and

3) open the remaining stalls in the harbor to the public at County rates managed by a parking management company.

A copy of the proposed rule changes will be mailed at no charge upon receipt of verbal or written request to the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation at 333 Queen St., Suite 300, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Copies can also be downloaded from the DLNR Web site at: www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dbor/bordraftrules.htm.

The meeting locations are disability accessible. If special needs are required, i.e., large print, taped materials, sign language interpreter, etc., call Clifford Inn on O‘ahu at (808) 587-1972 at least three business days prior to the public hearings.


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For more information news media may contact:
Deborah Ward
DLNR Public information specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320