Fix It! Punahou Square Park Has Seen Better Days
A dog park is being added to the small park while other parts of it remain neglected.
On the corner of Punahou Street and Wilder Avenue sits a small park under the shade of a fig tree. Its winding sidewalk leads visitors to benches that offer respite under the cover of trees planted in memoriam. At the corner sits a small structure, with a historical plaque informing readers of the trolley that used to stop there.
Once a prized outdoor space, Punahou Square Park has fallen into disrepair, with chickens often outnumbering patrons.
The trolley structure, meant to remind visitors of its days as the transfer point for the Mānoa Valley Electric Trolley in the early 20th century, appears to be falling apart. Its dilapidated roof and rotting frame raise safety concerns for resident Ed Lapsley, who lives in a retirement community nearby.
According to Lapsley, who considers himself something of an amateur historian, the park has a history of neglect. He said that when the lot became an official city park in the early ’60s, having previously been part of the Punahou School property, it had to be renovated. The park and trolley structure were then restored again in the early 2000s.
“The trolley shelter itself was restored around the year 2000 and at present, it’s just been totally neglected,” Lapsley said, “There are holes in the roof. There’s termite damage. It’s really pretty bad.”
But Lapsley said his bigger concern is the fence that appeared on the makai side of the park several weeks ago. It runs along the path that snakes through the center of the park and separates the banyan tree, the three benches below it and the rubbish bin from the rest of the park.
The double-gated entrance is the only sign that the area is intended to be a dog park.
While the fence doesn’t prevent guests from using the benches, they have to enter the dog park to do so. Lapsley said he worries that poses an unneeded extra burden to the elderly or mothers with strollers who might need a rest.
“I don’t question the need for a dog park,” Lapsley said. “However, pedestrians use Punahou Square Park, too. I don’t mind sharing the park, but why was the dog park sited so poorly?”
The off-leash dog park isn’t yet officially open, but the likely mixed-use with canines and other visitors also poses concern for the pets. On a recent morning, several people occupied the benches within the dog park, leaving the gates wide open and causing potential for the dogs to escape near a busy road.
Nathan Serota, a spokesman for the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, said officials worked with the Makiki-Tantalus Neighborhood Board and chose the site over other neighborhood parks because it is relatively underutilized and others already have dog parks.
“Punahou was a good choice because it was a passive park without any recreational facilities,” Serota said.
He said that he thought the dog park would help to draw more people to Punahou Square Park. Parks officials are open to addressing problems with the trolley structure, he said. The department also plans to add benches outside the dog area.
The trolley structure was last revamped as a collaborative project between the city and the Manoa Waioli Lions Club. Serota said he would like to see that sort of community cooperation happen again for the next project.
For now, the dog park is just waiting on signage to be officially open, but the public can already access the facilities. Serota said he is hoping to have a blessing ceremony sometime this month to fully open the dog park on good terms with the neighborhood.
Who Is Responsible?
Maintenance of Oahu parks and park facilities fall under the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation. The director of the parks department is Laura H. Thielen. The department office phone number is (808) 768-3003.
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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misidentified the type of tree that shades the dog park and referenced the wrong month for when repairs are expected to be complete. The story was also updated to include additional information about park bench plans.
