Alcohol ban at park advances

WAILUKU - The Maui County Council debate about whether to ban alcohol at South Maui's popular Charley Young Beach Park proved to be much more complicated than just an attempt by some vocal neighbors to force out a regular group of party people.

Economic Development, Agriculture and Recreation Committee Chairwoman Jo Anne Johnson introduced the bill against alcohol at Charley Young along South Kihei Road. The move came within a week of her committee voting in favor of eliminating drinking at Honokowai Beach Park in West Maui.

The Honokowai ban will go before the entire County Council at its next meeting Tuesday. Only a couple of people showed up for the discussion about a ban at Charley Young, which committee members unanimously advanced to the full council.

"Anyone who is within earshot right now or reads the paper, I am hoping you show up before we vote on this (likely in two weeks)," Johnson said. "We must get more discussion."

Council Member Wayne Nishiki, a nonvoting member of the committee, said these two proposed bans should just be a beginning. He would consider bans in other beach parks, he said.

"I think the ideal action should be no drinking in county parks," Nishiki said. "This is a start. We've heard the complaints, so we need to do the action."

The Charley Young Beach Park ban came before council members after people who live along the beach said they've tried in vain to get a regular group of volleyball players to either stop their almost daily game or control their activity better. The neighbors provided the committee with a list of accusations against the players that included foul language, screaming and other obnoxious behavior.

None of the volleyball players attended Thursday's meeting in the Council Chambers to defend their activity at the beach.

Parks and Recreation Department Director Tamara Horcajo said the two sides have met numerous times, but the issue's come to a head without a resolution.

Committee Vice Chairman Sol Kaho'ohalahala voted in favor of the ban with reservations. After reading the testimony of some of the residents who live near Charley Young Beach Park, there appeared to be an underlying us-versus-them mentality, he said.

Before the alcohol consumption ban is implemented, Kaho'ohalahala said he wants to see a greater effort for the neighbors and volleyball players to work it out among themselves.

Visitor-oriented police officer Alan Brown testified that there's not a disproportionate number of incidents at Charley Young compared with other South Maui beach parks.

But he and his superior, Lt. Lester Wong, said the partying is a regular problem there, and the area is difficult to police because of its lack of visibility from the road.

South Maui parks Superintendent Kaeoah Sau said cleaning up broken bottles and other trash is regular duty for parks employees at the beach. It should be even worse after this weekend's Independence Day celebrations, Sau said.

However, police and committee members expressed concern that an alcohol ban would simply push the party down the beach to Kamaole Beach Park I, which is connected to Charley Young.

But Johnson said she is drafting a separate measure to ban alcohol use at Kamaole I as well.

There was an effort to ban alcohol at Kamaole I several years ago, but that met steep public opposition, Brown said.

If the bill passes, a drinking ticket would cost between $150 and $500. However, committee members wondered how effective police could be since they already are short staffed, or if the "no alcohol" signs would do much of the work for park rangers and police.

Because of a lack of officers, Horcajo said, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources doesn't enforce drinking prohibitions in its parks, including Makena State Park, unless the department is called to deal with a specific problem.

Council Member Mike Molina said he supports the measure "to protect the innocent" with a heavy heart because it always seems like a few rowdies ruin the situation for everyone else by drinking heavily and "acting stupid."

It was brought up several times that the bill was never intended to target people who want a cocktail while they watch the sunset or fishers who like a beer while casting on the shoreline.

Johnson said she is looking for compromise, although it seems out of reach. She noted that most Mainland public parks do not allow alcohol.

But "don't ever forget, drinking is not a right. It's a privilege in our community's parks," she said.

The county needs to create safe environments for its people, many of whom do not drink and make it a point to teach their children not to drink alcohol, Nishiki said.

With the limited resources available to the county, eliminating alcohol from beach parks could be an effective and economical way to bring safety to Maui beaches, particularly for women, Council Member Gladys Baisa said.

* Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.