Aloha! If you're new here, please see some quick facts;
1. Why do we need a perimeter fence?
- Plants stolen, persons using gardens to use drugs, sleep, shower, and other "adult" activities. 3-4 human waste piles (liquid poo) in our aisles weekly from adults, children, other park users due to the bathrooms being destroyed and not fixed. Broken faucets from improper use with long wait times - leading to thousands of gallons flooding the park and wasting water.
2. What is a community garden?
- Anyone can join! We want you to join! We have an over 130 person waitlist for just Makiki. There are 11 on Oahu. Its C&C program and each gardener pays an annual fee for the permit. Makiki is $20, where 10 goes to C&C, and 10 goes to fixing faucets, buying trash bags, and human waste items (over a year). The produce being grown is not a grocery store, gardeners pay a lot of money to grow here, if you'd like some vegetables, just ask, but please don't steal. Imagine waiting over 18 months on a waitlist to teach your keiki how to grow a tomato, and within the first month of growing, someone breaks in a takes the plant.
3. You have fences? Why do you need a big one?
- Each 10x10 plot is allowed a less than 6ft (was 5ft pre 2025) fence that must be see through on all sides per C&C rule. The garden aisles create hidden spaces for people to break in each plot. 7 of the 11 gardens already have perimeter fencing which greatly stop these issues. Each plot is locked with chain and locks, but people (some with nice cars and fancy watches) come by with bolt cutters at 2am. We know this, because we do have cameras, but even our cameras have even been stolen. A big fence will stop people from getting into the aisles. We would only have to manage the "big fence" gate with proper, heavy locks, instead of 18 aisles or 160 personal plots.
4. Just build one?
- We are restrained by the Community Construction rules by C&C. Due to being a public park, we have to follow this set up.
1. Why do we need a perimeter fence?
- Plants stolen, persons using gardens to use drugs, sleep, shower, and other "adult" activities. 3-4 human waste piles (liquid poo) in our aisles weekly from adults, children, other park users due to the bathrooms being destroyed and not fixed. Broken faucets from improper use with long wait times - leading to thousands of gallons flooding the park and wasting water.
2. What is a community garden?
- Anyone can join! We want you to join! We have an over 130 person waitlist for just Makiki. There are 11 on Oahu. Its C&C program and each gardener pays an annual fee for the permit. Makiki is $20, where 10 goes to C&C, and 10 goes to fixing faucets, buying trash bags, and human waste items (over a year). The produce being grown is not a grocery store, gardeners pay a lot of money to grow here, if you'd like some vegetables, just ask, but please don't steal. Imagine waiting over 18 months on a waitlist to teach your keiki how to grow a tomato, and within the first month of growing, someone breaks in a takes the plant.
3. You have fences? Why do you need a big one?
- Each 10x10 plot is allowed a less than 6ft (was 5ft pre 2025) fence that must be see through on all sides per C&C rule. The garden aisles create hidden spaces for people to break in each plot. 7 of the 11 gardens already have perimeter fencing which greatly stop these issues. Each plot is locked with chain and locks, but people (some with nice cars and fancy watches) come by with bolt cutters at 2am. We know this, because we do have cameras, but even our cameras have even been stolen. A big fence will stop people from getting into the aisles. We would only have to manage the "big fence" gate with proper, heavy locks, instead of 18 aisles or 160 personal plots.
4. Just build one?
- We are restrained by the Community Construction rules by C&C. Due to being a public park, we have to follow this set up.
Transparency Timeline about "The Fence"
June 24 2026 - Construction began!
June 22 2026 - *Construction Start Date
June 17 2026 - KHON2 Article and Video for construction date for Makiki Fence.
May 19 2026 - Community Garden office tells Makiki volunteer officers that a different Community Garden in Honolulu will be receiving a perimeter fence.
May 16 2026 - KHON2 Article and Video about removal of funding.
May 8 2026 - Non-Officer Makiki gardener received response letter about project - no longer eligible for "CIP" funding due to "reduced engineering complexity" and not being a "long term asset", determined by BFS (Budget and Fiscal Services).
April 2026 - Garden volunteer officers suggest gardeners reach out to DPR, DDC and Mayor asking about fence deadline (May 2026).
February 5 2026 - KHON2 Article and Video about recent thefts.
February 2026 - City walk through with 5 approved fence contractors.
November 2025 to February 2026 - Assurances the project is moving along.
October 2025 - Council Member Nishimoto meets with DPR to plan the fence at garden. Est. completion = May 2026
October 2025 - Project funds are "released" by Mayor Blangiardi (necessary step for project to begin).
July 2025 - Funding for fence project is approved and in FY26 budget.
May 2025 - Garden volunteer calls in during City Council meeting to confirm "CIP" funding is correct for project.
April 2025 - CM Nishimoto proposed funding for fence project in FY26.
April 2025 - KHON2 Article and Video about increase in human defecation and showering.
July 2024 to June 2025 - Nothing happens because funds were not "released" by Mayor Blangiardi.
June 2024 - Funding for fence project is approved and in FY25 budget.
March 2024 - Councilmember Calvin Say adds fence project funding into budget.
January 2024 - Meeting with CM Say about Community Construction Projects.
2021 - Makiki District Park receives $250,000 funding through Bill 7 to complete missing projects from 1999 master plan (walking path and garden fence).
1999 - The fence is in the 1999 Makiki District Park Master Plan as a "priority project" and given funding (unknown $) to complete.
1976 - In garden monthly meeting notes, mention of theft and vandalism, garden requests perimeter fence to protect plants.
1975 - Garden created under City & County Honolulu Community Garden Program
DETOUR 5/8/2026 Update
Unfortunately, C&C has decided to rescind the funding for the fence. I've attached the letter one of our gardeners received.
Strangely enough, even though justification was made about the fence not supposed to be in the CIP budget, I called in to confirm during the City Council Special Budget Meeting on May 12 2025, and was assured it was correct as the budget passed.
What really gets us as gardeners - previous fences were done and put under the CIP, like fencing for Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park in CIP 2024.
And short lifespan? We've been here for 50 years. Terrible way to celebrate the first community garden of Oahu.
How strange to wait an entire year (June 2025 - now) following bi weekly check ins about this project to let us know.
Small Steps for Current Safety Issues
While we wait for the above MCG Fence Project to continue, we are mitigating many garden issues by building aisle gates. We completed a large gate near our tool shed on March 9th with the help of our Clean Up Coordinator Kraig, Secretary Adam, and Vice President Amanda. This will show an example of our plans for aisle gates. To build our aisle gates, we need full 100% gardener approval for each aisle to build a lockable space.
August 12th update - Gardeners voted in favor of advancing an "Aisle Gate Pilot Project" proposal for discussion at the following meeting (September). Design alternatives and estimated costs for the gates are displayed below. The Pilot Project aims to construct test aisle gates to better understand costs, the level of work required, and potential issues for better securing the garden.
The above gate was constructed near the toolshed by garden officers and volunteers who donated their funds
Survey about Gardener's wants and needs for Safety Improvement
