The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-03-15

ps preserved IN their natural beauty
WITH Tootpath made TO facilitate tbs
enjoyment of the scene. at least as
lar as the avenue on the one branch
anu as Judd street on the other, There
are no other short rural walks on leye,
within Honolulu, and this placid.
peaceful scene with IFS lack of viewg
Is here more unique than sea and
mountains. The strip is a lovely
} natural park, now almost unknown
ana Its land unclaimed for other pur-
poses
with these additions involving lit
Tie expense except in the case of the
hing street plat. which would effect
so great an Improvement as amply TO
justify its establishment, the Honolulu
park system would be complete in its
geographical distribution. There wouId
remain, however, one want to round
out its social mission. This is chill
drens Fairgrounds.
&. FAIRGROUNDS
Several of these have been esta blish-
ed and one or TWO others are contem-
plated. They seem well located and
my only suggestion is tlsnt a more
dlstlnctiX playground development be
given TO them. Toilet rooms should be
PROVIDED IN these, as in every one of
the parks-scenic, pleasure grounds,
and all. They should have some sim
pie outdoor gymnastic apparatus. such
as parallel bars and travelling rings.
there should be a section hedged off
for the special use of the little chill
dren, and here the clean sea sand
which can be so easily provided.
would be delight. Wading ponds
with concrete bottoms are proving an
unlir1ng source of please in the newer
Fairgrounds of the cities of the
states ana good sociological work can
be done if there be a play-director.
This fairly completes the study of
the park system cunts, and there is
need only to connect them and bring
them into relation with one another
To do this is the special function of
boulevards and drives
"A. BOULEVARDS AND DRIVES.
1t is clear that in such city as
Honolulu, where the climate gives de-
lightful driving weather from years
end TO years end, and where all
classes do drive, the boulevards must
have a special Importance. 1t is clear
also that in the large acreage which it
has been proposed to dedicate To PARK
purposes, SO much driving opportunity
is provided as to make it unnecessary
that the boulevards and drives should
dc more than adequately connect the
PARKS and form of the separate units
a system.
The city is devoting most attention
TO the Waikiki road. l do not think
this has been wise choice, for it
was possible to make a far finer APP
proach to Waikiki out of the Beach
road, or-if this was too far from
much OF the residential district. and
hence rounda bout-there might have
been laid out, and may still be plan
ned by modifying the street plottings
of the Pinkham reclamation plan, Il
boulevard to Kapiolani Park that
would have been very stunning with
Diamond Head closing it's vista at one
end and Punchbowl closing it at the
other. Kalakaua avenue, however, is
a condition that must now be reck-
oned with, and it much needs atten-
ton. With the car track at the side,
and for considerable distances views
of one or other crater, 1 do not favor
the center parking. though ordinarily
this is the best parkway treatment,
The road has been widened theoreti-
cally to one hundred feet, and the |
Rapid Transit Company has a right !
to lay a double track The outside
track is in place and occasional
switches are on the strip that eventu- /
ally VIII be covered by the second |
track. All the rest of the boulevard !
is glaring expanse of dust.
Accepting the location of the track
as a fixed condition, my recommends /
ton is as follows: Mauka, from lot
TO sidewalk, turf two feet. Side walk,
six feet. Curbline to outside rail, in
order to allow ear step, SO feet
inches, in turf Track and right of
way space, 20 feet, six inches. Park
ing, eight feet, three inches. Then
would come the road or drive, forty
five feet, which is good boulevard
width with the car tracks out of the
way. Makai. parking seven feet.
Walk, six feet. Walk line to lot line,
in turf, two feet The, planting should
follow the plan originated on Beacon
Boulevard in Boston, and now widely
followed. That is, the effort should
be to plant out" the car line. From
1nauka curb to line of roadway the
whole space-between the rails, be-
tween the tracks, and aIl-snould be
planted with grass. On the strip of
parking between the inside track and
the roadway there should be shrubs
and al intervals trees The effect will
be to put the cars into a long, mar
row park all the time they are on Ka-
lakaua avenue, extending the effect
now secured in front of Kapiolani
Park, deadening the noise of the cars,
the dust, and adding i'm
mensely to the pleasure OF the trip for
car passengers. Further practical ad-
vantages arising from this method of
are that, by using troll
ley sprinkler, the strip can be Kept
watered easily and inexpensively; and
that the second track can be omitted
or added without injuriDg the effect
Makai, the strip of parking between
curb and roadway must be similarly
dew ,Ioped with turf and shrubs and
trees, so as to correspond with the
other side, while an incidental gam
here win be the separation of the walk
from the glare and dust of the road.