Question: We went to Foster Botanical Garden's plant sale recently and were appalled to find the very expensive new glass greenhouse totally unused and rapidly falling into a state of irreversible disrepair. What's going on here?

Answer: “;It's not in disrepair,”; said Lester Chang, director of the city Department of Parks and Recreation.

But it is unfinished. At this point, it's unknown when it will be completed.

We found a 2002 Master Plan report, which talked about plans for a 10,000-square-foot conservatory to be built in honor of Harold Lyon, the first director of Foster Botanical Garden.

While the glass structure — reduced by more than half in size to 4,573 square feet — was built at a cost of $2 million, there wasn't enough money in the budget to do much beyond that, Chang said.

The structure sits just behind the Kuan Yin Temple as you enter the garden's parking lot from Vineyard Boulevard.

One crucial project to be addressed is drainage, but there are no funds budgeted to do the job.

Parks staff have been trying to figure out how to construct the drainage system in-house, within the department's operating budget, Chang said.

“;It's not that simple,”; he said, with work involving excavation and installation of a drywell.

The original concept for the conservatory was to focus on orchids and to be named the Lyon Orchid Conservatory.

According to the Master Plan, the conservatory was to honor Lyon for “;his dedication, his works, and his love of orchids.”;

  It was meant to be “;a sunny yet enclosed structure to protect the delicate plants from predators, particularly the bulbul bird, airborne disease, and theft while the surrounding garden area, gazebo, and courtyards allow visitors to enjoy special displays and demonstrations outdoors.

“;We have an outstanding collection of orchids,”; Chang said, but the conservatory won't be devoted exclusively to that flowering plant.

Staff have been identifying and saving plants, such as bromeliads and succulents, that also will be featured in the conservatory, once it is completed, he said.

Meanwhile, the facility has not yet been formally named in honor of Lyon. Any name would be subject to approval by the City Council, Chang said.

Because work on the conservatory is being done in-house and as funds allow, there is no timeline as to when it will finally be completed and opened to the public.

“;Yes, it is something we should be using sooner rather than later,”; Chang acknowledged. “;But it will be used, it will be an attraction and it will serve a purpose over time.”;

HCDA Water Conservation

The Hawaii Community Development Authority has always been “;very concerned”; about water conservation, especially in its parks, said Richard Kuitenen, the agency's Asset Manager.

In response to a complaint about water waste at Kakaako Waterfront Park (Kokua Line, Oct. 14), he pointed out that watering generally is done during non-peak hours at night and early morning, but there are times and circumstances which require the sprinklers to be on during the day.

He assures readers that this is “;the exception and not the norm.”;

According to the agency, watering may be observed during the day for various reasons, often involving testing of sprinklers and pump systems. Every three months, technicians are brought in to test and lubricate all the pump systems, which means turning on several sprinklers at a time for up to 45 minutes at each station.

Watering during the day may occur when an obvious cause for a dry area is not easily found; after the spraying of some insecticides, or, rarely, when mistakes are made while spraying or fertilizing, necessitating watering during the day for several days to minimize the amount of turf damage.

Meanwhile, before an event, sprinklers are turned on briefly, so that the heads can be found and marked, while the irrigation system is tested after an event to make sure nothing was damaged.

Kuitenen also said that rain sensors have been installed on irrigation systems at Kakaako Waterfront Park to shut down watering when more than 1/8 inch of rain is detected.

Rain sensors also will be installed at Kewalo Basin Park, where workers are reseeding the lawns. However, parkgoers may notice watering during the day until the grass is established, Kuitenen said.