Crumbling Big Island Tennis Court Has Needed Repaving For Years

The tennis court at Herbert Shipman Park in Kea‘au is dull, cracking and growing weeds. The county has had it on its to-do list for at least the past four years but still hasn't gotten around to it.

Mountain View resident Holly Zimmerman, who has been using the park for over 20 years, said the courts have been in disrepair for as long as she can remember.

"I would like to see the county move faster," she said. "I don't see why we can't."

Repaving the courts is listed as a project on the the Hawaiʻi County Parks Department website. It's been in the planning and design phase since 2022, county spokesperson Tom Callis said in an email.

The county plans to have the design finished soon, Callis said, and expects to start construction in December or January. The estimated cost to repave is $150,000 to $200,000. The county plans to use funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency from the 2018 volcanic eruption to cover it.

Zimmerman said she's not surprised the project was stalled for so long.

"It's the changing of mayors," she said. "One mayor might be supportive, and the next one might not, or put it at the bottom of the list."

People still use the courts. Zimmerman said she suspects that because it isn't posing a safety risk, the county doesn't see it as a priority.

The park doesn't just serve Keʻaau. It's popular among Puna and Volcano residents as well. Though Mountain View has a park, Zimmerman said she prefers Herbert Shipman because it has more facilities.

The courts aren't the only thing in need of repair there. The pavilion has visible termite damage, the sidewalks are cracking and the pingpong table is crumbling.

"The park is used a lot," Zimmerman said. "So why not have it upgraded for all the people that use it?"

Who Is Responsible?

Hawaiʻi County Superintendent of Parks Maintenance Jaye Dempsey, (808) 961-8719 or [email protected].

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