County pauses Honokaa tree removals after resident backlash

Hawaii County has paused its plan to remove 37 trees at the Honokaa Sports Complex and Skate Park after residents and tree advocates pushed back, turning a parking-lot repair into a fight over shade, safety and public trust.

Parks and Recreation Director Clayton Honma said the project is on hold while recent discussions continue. He said the county is trying to bring parks into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act under a federal court-ordered plan, but also said the trees’ root systems have already damaged parking lots and concrete walkways, creating trip hazards and other safety problems the county says it has to fix.

The scale of the backlash showed how deeply the complex matters to Honokaa. Residents said they first noticed bright pink paint on the trunks last fall and were not told the trees were marked for removal. A petition opposing the cuts gathered more than 600 signatures, and people began seeking outside arborist opinions after learning the county had planned to remove 43 trees before a county arborist reduced that number to 37.

In April, the project was described as targeting 36 mature Cuban mahogany trees because roots were damaging two parking lots. The lower lot has 125 stalls and 26 marked trees; the upper lot has 80 stalls and 10 marked trees. Community members said the canopy is part of why people use the complex for sports, events, family gatherings and everyday recreation, and that the public did not get a fair chance to weigh in before the request for proposals went out.

That concern hardened in February, when 65 community members met with Council Member Heather Kimball and Honma to discuss alternatives. A certified arborist who reviewed the situation said cutting down all the trees was not the best answer, even with the pavement damage and safety concerns, and favored selective removal and replanting of native species instead. Another forestry expert noted the trees, while not native, still carry value because of their size and age.

The county says it is now developing a landscaping plan for the complex, with mainly endemic and indigenous trees and some introduced species suited to the site. Mayor Kimo Alameda said native trees are intended as part of that plan. The county’s ADA coordinator is Alika Cockett, and the county says residents can request modifications to facilities, programs and services through its Equal Opportunity-ADA office.

The pause comes against a longer history of accessibility disputes in county parks. A 1997 federal lawsuit filed by Big Island resident Alexa Russell forced Hawaii County to confront ADA obligations, and a state directive signed by Gov. Josh Green on May 5 added another layer of guidance for agencies. For Honokaa, the immediate question is whether the county can repair hazards without stripping away one of the town’s most visible sources of shade, comfort and community use.