KANEOHE (HawaiiNewsNow) - A free public garden in Windward Oahu needs some crowd control -- and a master plan.

The city started the process of finding ways to manage the increasing popularity of Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, with a community workshop Thursday evening at Windward Community College.

“The name, literally, Hoomaluhia, translates to a place of peace and tranquility, and I think people are there seeking peace and tranquility, which we need so much now for wellness,” said Joshlyn Sand, the director of Honolulu Botanical Gardens.

The 400-acre garden was originally developed in the late 1970s to provide flood control for the surrounding Kaneohe community.

In it’s nearly 50 years, the property never had a master plan. But after Covid, the annual visitor counts tripled in three ye

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