New parking lot with 22 spaces completed at William Charles Lunalilo Playground in Kona

The Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation has completed a new on-site parking lot in Kona at William Charles Lunalilo Playground, commonly known as “Blue Park.”

The parking lot with 22 new spaces was the collaborative vision developed by West Side Hawaiʻi Little League and the Department of Parks and Recreation. It was completed with support from the Department of Public Works, according to a county press release.

The new parking spaces are above the park’s baseball field in an area that was previously covered in naupaka bushes and unusable for any recreational purposes. There are now 45 off-street stalls available at the park.

“We try to implement these low-cost, high-reward improvements as much as possible,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said. “We are fortunate to have such hardworking county employees that collaborate across our departments to provide this level of service to the community.”

The Department of Public Works also removed extensive weeds and vegetation on the hillside above the field, improving visibility for spectators from adjoining sidewalks and on-street parking spots.

“Our crews are proud to work with our Parks and Recreation Department to be able to make these improvements to the park,” Acting Director of Public Works Neil Azevedo said. “Our guys even took the opportunity to clean the surrounding areas like the canal.”

Parking has been a long-standing issue at Lunalilo Playground, affecting park users as well as residents in the surrounding neighborhood.

Lunalilo Playground is a seven-acre park off Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway in the Pualani Estates Subdivision that includes a youth baseball field, youth soccer field, restrooms and a playground. The park is scheduled to host this year’s Little League Majors Division State Tournament, July 16-20. 

The park’s playground also is slated for a major overhaul. The county said it is continuing to plan and develop the project in collaboration with community members and volunteers.