The 'Ewa Neighborhood Board wants the region's seven city parks and their parking lots closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night, a decision applauded by some people and derided by others.

The board voted 8-1 last month to recommend the closure. City officials say this is the first time a neighborhood board asked that all the parks in a ZIP code — in this case 96706 — be closed at night. The 12-hour closure is also unusual. Typical closures are just seven hours a night, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Those in favor say the lengthy closure would reduce drinking, loud partying and other misuses at the parks after dark. Those opposed say it's too drastic and would curtail legitimate recreation, from surfing and fishing to pickup basketball and tennis lessons.

The seven parks are One'ula Beach Park (also known as Hau Bush), 'Ewa Beach Community Park, 'Ewa Beach Park, 'Ewa Mahiko Park, Asing Community Park, Geiger Community Park and Pu'uloa Neighborhood Park.

Currently, 'Ewa Beach Community Park, 'Ewa Beach Park and Geiger Park have signs posted indicating they are closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The other four have no time restrictions.

The board meets at 7 tonight at the 'Ewa Beach Public Library for its monthly meeting. And while the park closure proposal is not on the board's agenda, opponents say they want it raised.

NEIGHBORS VICTIMIZED

Eric Kaanoi's family has lived on Pupu Street next to the entrance to One'ula Beach Park the past five or six years. In that time, he said, he's had tools and fishing gear stolen from his yard, a pet chicken shot at, been threatened and almost run off the road by nighttime beachgoers.

"I don't like going there at night," Kaanoi said. "I don't know why they go in and out (of the park). In my opinion, most of them are up to no good."

He especially worries for his two daughters and a son, all under 18.

Several miles up the street, at Asing Community Park, more than 75 youths are playing basketball and tennis at 7 p.m. while a church group practices its dance routine for this weekend's service. Pickup basketball regular James Curran, of 'Ewa Beach, predicted that idle youths would drive up the crime rate in the region if Asing were to close at 7.

"We can't afford 24 Hour Fitness," Curran said, referring to the popular chain of fitness centers. "This is the poor man's 24 Hour Fitness. If all these guys didn't have somewhere to go at night, where would they go?"

Neighborhood board votes are advisory only. Ultimately, it's up to city Parks Director Lester Chang to decide. Chang said Tuesday that he is weighing the pros and cons of the board's plan. He suggested that those concerned about it ask that the board reconsider it.

Kurt Favella, chairman of the 'Ewa Neighborhood Board, said the panel first began exploring the notion of nighttime closures at area parks at the request of residents some four years ago. While it decided not to take action then, the complaints from neighbors of the facilities have increased.

INCLUDING ALL 7 PARKS

Initially, the board members were considering only One'ula, 'Ewa Beach Community Park and 'Ewa Beach Park for the night closures. "Then the rest of the community got upset that we didn't include their parks so I said, 'OK, fine, we'll include the whole 96706 to make everybody happy,' and that's what we did," Favella said. "And we got a good response and everybody was happy with it."

Those who surf and fish at One'ula frequently, however, said they didn't even hear about the closure plan until after the Feb. 8 board meeting.

"I think they voted without having enough people give input," said Ed Rhinelander, a 62-year-old 'Ewa Beach retiree. "We have other things to do than go the neighborhood board meetings when the neighborhood boards don't affect us."

CALLED TOO DRASTIC

Rhinelander said the proposed hours are too drastic. While there is some beer drinking that takes place at the end of the day — a violation of a city ordinance prohibiting alcoholic consumption at parks — many legitimate activities occur after 7 p.m. and before 7 a.m. including fishing, diving and surfing.

Up to two dozen people opposed to the closures attempted to reopen the issue at a meeting of the neighborhood board's parks subcommittee last week. But they were outvoted by a majority of those in attendance who were in favor of the closure, Favella said.

Rhinelander said he and others will attempt to bring the issue up again at tonight's full board meeting even though Favella did not put it on the agenda.

CASE-BY-CASE APPROACH

Typically, most night park closures occur between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., although there are exceptions, particularly in places with unique circumstances, said Chang, the city's parks director.

In 2005, the Wai'anae Neighborhood Board asked that all parks along the Wai'anae Coast be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The city has been approaching that request on a case-by-case basis, closing some and leaving others open overnight, Chang said.

He said he'll likely take the same approach in 'Ewa.

"It's my policy to look at each of the requests on a park-by-park basis as far as making a determination," he said. Chang said a decision likely won't come for at least another seven weeks, noting that he will need to discuss the situation with the advisory Board of Parks and Recreation.

While some who oppose the 7-to-7 closure oppose any such restriction, Rhinelander is among those who said he could live with a compromise position of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

So, too, did Kaanoi, who said he thinks 7 p.m. may be a little early for fishing and surfing enthusiasts. "I guess 10 to 5 would be fine with me."

Maj. Michael Moses, head of the Kapolei police station, said through a spokeswoman that the department supports a 10-to-5 closure at all the parks.

Favella said the board is willing to discuss opening One'ula earlier but not closing later. It is not open to changing the proposal regarding the other parks, he said.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.