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A view of the Daibutsu sculpture (the sitting Buddha) at
Foster Botanical Garden, a gift from the Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Purpose: In order for the City and County of Honolulu to appropriate funds for improvement projects at Foster Botanical Garden, a master plan for the Garden is needed. Various planning efforts have surged and ebbed throughout the history of Foster Botanical Garden since the City and County accepted Mrs. Foster's generous gift in 1931. However, the Garden is currently without a master plan. The most recent effort to develop a master plan for the Garden was initiated in the mid 1990s, but the master plan was never adopted.
This Master Plan represents a renewed effort and commitment to revitalize Foster Botanical Garden. With support from the community, the City Council, and the Department of Parks and Recreation, the time is ripe to return Foster Botanical Garden to the glory it once knew and deserves. This report describes a vision for Foster Botanical Garden, one steeped in history but poised to serve current and future generations of plant enthusiasts with a variety of facilities and garden improvements. It includes physical design and facility programming as well as phasing plans, budgeting, and operational requirements needed to ensure the full development of the Garden.
Who is Responsible: The City Department of Design and Construction is administering this planning project and will later administer the design and construction aspects. The officer-in-charge is Terry Hildebrand, a planner in the Planning Branch, Division of Facilities Design and Engineering.
PBR Hawaii, Inc. (PBR), is retained to produce the master plan, the environmental assessment, and other products associated with the master plan. Thomas Witten, a landscape architect and principal of PBR Hawaii, and Kimi Yuen, a planner with PBR, are in charge of preparing the master plan.
Planning Process: The planning process for this project involved a variety of activities, including information gathering and research, community meetings, and design development. Issues relating to management and operation of the Garden including space programming, operation and maintenance, security, staffing, and financing were discussed and evaluated with the Garden staff and administration. Special design considerations including accessibility issues were also reviewed. A series of community meetings was held to gather input from various organizations and community members throughout each stage of development for the Master Plan. The Draft Master Plan was presented to the Downtown Neighborhood Board at their regular monthly meeting on January 4, 2001.
At the first community meeting, background information and previously proposed schemes were presented to attendees. A brainstorming session was held to identify community wants and needs for the Garden and to gather ideas for the Master Plan. Subsequent community meetings involved a presentation of the master plan at each stage of development followed by an open discussion with attendees who shared their comments, questions, ideas, and suggestions for improving the Master Plan. At the last community meeting held on February 7, 2001, the Master Plan was presented for final public review and comment. The consultant is presently working on completing the Master Plan report and an environmental assessment.
Information and Comments: Please call Terry Hildebrand of the City and County of Honolulu, at 523-4696 if you have any questions, or to let him know of any particular concerns or interests you have.
Click here for the web site for Foster Botanical Garden and all Honolulu Botanical Gardens under the Department of Parks and Recreation. |
