(BIVN) – The new, on-site parking area at William Charles Lunalilo Playground in Kona has been finished. 

The County of Hawai‘i Department of Parks and Recreation announced the completion of the project in a Thursday news release, sharing photos of the work. An additional 22 new parking spaces were installed above the park’s baseball field “in an area that was previously covered in naupaka bushes and unusable for any recreational purposes,” the County says. 

The “Blue Park” enhancement is the realization of a collaborative vision developed by West Side Hawaii Little League and the Department of Parks and Recreation, and it was completed with support from the Department of Public Works. 

The availability of parking at Lunalilo Playground has been a long-standing issue. There are now 45 off-street stalls available at the park. 

photo courtesy County of Hawaiʻi

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

Extensive weed and vegetation removal was also done on the hillside above the field, improving visibility for spectators. 

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

“Mahalo to the West Side Hawaii Little League and our Public Works Department for bringing this project to fruition” said Clayton Honma, Director of Parks & Recreation. “This really was a team effort.” 

The County added this information about the park: 

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 is slated for a major overhaul, and the County of Hawai‘i continues to plan and develop the project in collaboration with community members and volunteers.