The Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation wishes to update the public about safety improvements being undertaken at Hilo’s Gilbert Carvalho Park. The Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation wishes to update the public about safety improvements being
The Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation wishes to update the public about safety improvements being undertaken at Hilo’s Gilbert Carvalho Park.
County crews are working to clear overgrowth at the edge of the popular facility to create additional off-street parking.
Limited on-site parking has prompted an increasing number of park users to leave their vehicles along the shoulder of Waianuenue Avenue or in the nearby grassy median, Deputy Parks Director Clayton Honma said. Spectators often park vehicles along the park’s perimeter barricades to view softball or youth baseball games, unaware that they are within the public right-of-way.
These practices impede sight distances for motorists continuing up Waianuenue Avenue as they attempt to merge into the mauka-bound lane from the nearby intersection. This route serves as the main access for emergency vehicles transporting patients to Hilo Medical Center.
“Children have been seen playing up to the road’s edge at times, which is of serious concern to us,” Honma said.
Under a cooperative effort spearheaded by the Department of Parks and Recreation, resources from the Department of Environmental Management, Department of Public Works and the Planning Department have been assembled to develop a large parking area to support the park’s many uses.
“We’re delighted to improve recreation and public safety by turning an unused jungle into productive park space,” Honma said.
To further enhance safety for park users, a sizeable banyan tree near Waianuenue Avenue is being removed. This pre-emptive action is necessary to avoid the threat of collapse due to termite infestation.
