City needs better plan to solve Kaimuki parking shortage

THE ISSUE A plan to turn over a municipal lot in Kaimuki to a private contractor is advancing in the City Council.

THE city is applying a pocketbook solution to the perennial parking-shortage problem in Kaimuki. In hopes of discouraging long-term users -- many of whom are people employed in the area -- the City Council appears ready to approve a plan that will double the rate for those who leave their cars in the lot for more than two hours.

The plan also would hand over the lot's operation to a private contractor, reducing city revenues by more than a half-million dollars annually, while allowing the contractor to take in an expected 20 percent above that amount through the rate increases.

The city administration contends that's a good trade-off since taxpayers would not have to foot the bill for the lot's maintenance. In addition, officials argue, the contractor can make improvements the lot needs much faster than the city can, which doesn't say a lot for government efficiency.

Kaimuki has become a victim of its own old-style charm. Small retail stores, restaurants, service businesses and customers find the district appealing, but parking shortages, mostly on weekends and evenings, have grown in tandem.

For years, merchants and residents have considered different proposals, including building a multistory garage on the lot site or at an adjacent park. However, some businesses complained they would lose money during construction on the lot site. Meanwhile, few residents would favor replacing a popular park -- the only green space along Waialae Avenue -- with a concrete structure that would spoil the neighborhood's ambiance. In any case, a garage would cost upwards of $7 million, money the city would be loath to spend.

A 2004 survey found that half of the metered spaces are being used for long-term parking, many by people who work in the area. So the current plan is to have an attendant on site and double the rate from 75 cents an hour after two hours to discourage extended stays.

Businesses hope this will open slots for more customers and boost their bottom lines. But they should consider that expelling employees -- who, as taxpayers, should have access to a municipal lot -- will merely force them to side streets where parking is equally scarce, or deeper into residential areas.

Questions remain about the terms of the contract. Among them are whether the lot will be attended and secure 24 hours a day and whether any rate increases will require city approval.

The biggest question, however, is whether the plan will improve the situation and whether abandoning a community asset and the loss of revenue will be a good exchange.