City Enforces New Mokuleia Beach Park Rules

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Mokuleia Beach Park is now closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily, forcing families who’ve called the park home for years to pack their things and go.

“Some have been there for 2, 4, 10, 15 years,” said North Shore Neighborhood Board chairman Michael Lyons. “They’ve periodically been asked to leave and move out because overall it’s hard for the public to use the park.”

Earlier this year the North Shore board voted to close the park overnight and won official approval from the city. A primary reason for the closure was the lack of a comfort station, Lyons said. The city demolished the restroom in April for health and safety reasons and replaced it with portable toilets.

“The city came to us and explained the situation. They said the bathroom was unsafe and structurally unsound, dogs were running around, car batteries (were) in the area, children running around apparently unsupervised - the whole situation was just unsafe,” he explained.

“The board voted the situation was unsafe, unsanitary.We supported that, we support the park being closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., especially the hours of darkness.”

There are plans to construct a new restroom, but not soon.

The 12-hour closure also was imposed because of people camping without a permit. Having people living at the park also made it difficult for the general public to use, Lyons said.

“In terms of the homeless, services have been going out there. They’ve offered opportunities; we’ve dedicated four neighborhood board meetings to them already. They’ve been offered assistance - people have given money, they’ve given food - even at the meeting they’ve given help. They don’t want to move; they don’t want rules. They point-blank said that. There were many, many opportunities where they could have sought help,and help was forthcoming,and they didn’t go for it.

“The issue is, aside from all of that, the public who pay the taxes for the upkeep of the park have the right to use it.”

In addition to public use of the park during the day, fishermen still are permitted on the shoreline at night. Lyons hopes police and the city will continue to have a presence at the area to enforce the rules.

“I hope the presence is continuous. Otherwise if it’s not then all the struggles have been for nothing (and) we allow the situation to go back to what it was.”