The debris from the banyan tree on Hilo’s Kilauea Avenue that uprooted and fell July 12, killing two women, has been trucked away and disposed of, and damage caused by the massive tree crashing onto the roof of Calvary Chapel Hilo’s church building is now visible.

The parking lot that served the church and the mauka end of Wailoa State Recreation Area, overlooking Wailoa Pond, remains closed.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources told the Hawaii Tribune- Herald it cost $153,000 to cut up and remove the remains of the tree from the site. According to DLNR, the cause of the massive tree’s crash and who might be held responsible are “still under investigation.”

“The property is unencumbered state land and has not been designated as a parking lot. The use of the property as suc

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