THE ISSUES
Creating a paid entry station at mile 6.8 (at the junction of Waimea Canyon Road and Koke`e Road) together with 3 lanes of traffic, a house for state park personnel roadside, and a parking lot with a minimum of 4 stalls, including an ADA van accessible parking space. (The DLNR has stated that non-residents will pay the fee which will go into a state general fund, not earmarked for Koke`e or Waimea Canyon State parks. It is to be open and stopping cars and buses from dawn to dusk.)
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: No entry station, with or without a gate. Collect user fees from commercial operators, such as bus tours, by tax or permit fee to be paid at the State Building in Lihu`e, not on the mountain. Charge user fee on 4wd jeep rentals that use the back roads of Koke`e. Charge all non-resident car rentals a "state park" surcharge.
Widening the road all the way up to the end of the road to accommodate full-size buses (The DLNR has recently stated that it will not widen the roads beyond 18' and will prohibit buses to Kalalau lookout. It is not clear what size "vans" will be permitted to Kalalau lookout. It is also not clear whether buses will be permitted beyond Waimea Canyon lookout.)
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: No widening of the roads-- repair and maintain. No full-size buses beyond Waimea Canyon lookout. Do not expand the bus parking at Waimea Canyon lookout. Limit size of vans to Kalalau to 8-12 passengers.
Adding lower elevation lookouts, with "typical" amenities (the DLNR has stated that it will not now build lower elevation lookouts, but will reinforce the shoulders where cars "might go off the cliff because of erosion.")
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: No lower elevation lookouts.
Expanding and creating new parking lots at lookouts and trail heads, including a 50-75 car lot at the Discovery Center, another 50-car lot at the Kaluapuhi trailhead, tripling the Kalalau lookout parking, adding 20 spaces to the Pu`u Hinahina lot, and expanding the parking at Waimea Canyon lookout, together with adding bus and additional car parking at the Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow. (The DLNR has stated that it will not permit bus parking at Pu`u Hinahina lookout, but has confirmed that it is planning all other parking expansion)
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: No expansion of parking areas. Repair and maintain areas within the existing footprint and replace existing paved parking, where possible, with grass pavers.
Expanded permanent concession and retail services and additional amenities at Waimea Canyon Lookout and Kalalau Lookout. (The DLNR has recently stated that no concession will be permitted at Kalalau lookout, but the permanent concession and the truck concession currently remain in the plan for Waimea Canyon Lookout.)
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: No concessions at any lookouts.
Replacing all of the existing facilities at the Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow, including the lodge, museum, and park headquarters, with a "new" park headquarters, visitor's center, and expanded museum, restaurant, gift shop, and retail, with a single building or multiple buildings of unknown size and location, likely determined by private developer proposal, together with expanded parking for the new facilities.
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: Repair and maintain the existing facilities at Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow. Use the existing park headquarters buildings for park emergencies and permits.
Placing signage from the bottom of the mountain to the top, with additional signage at lookouts and trailheads, and adding uniformed enforcement officers and park rangers throughout the park to "establish a park identity."
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: No interpretive signage outside of Waimea Canyon lookout area. The Koke`e Natural History Museum should be the primary interpretive resource site on the mountain. We do not want to be a national park or have the feel of a national park. Koke`e does not need an artificial, superimposed "park identity."
- Kaua`i Community thoughts: Limit high-volume sightseeing to Waimea Canyon lookout area to keep the rest of the mountain from being degraded.
