A flurry of public comment, much of it negative, has inspired the proposed developers of Kaka'ako Makai to scale back plans for this prime waterfront parcel.

A key theme in the shift of plans is to put more "public" into this publicly owned property between downtown and the harborfront.

That's an important point: This is a critical piece of public land and should be used for maximum public benefit.

Specifically, the planners eliminated a waterfront restaurant and one of three residential towers so there would be more open space on the water and more land available for public parking.

This is unlikely to satisfy critics who say there should be no housing on the property makai of Ala Moana, let alone high-rise apartments that would largely go to the well-to-do.

Also out is a soaring pedestrian bridge that would have linked Kewalo Basin with the Kaka'ako site. This was in response to concerns from boaters who feared they would have been unable to get their vessels in and out of the harbor.

The solution, of course, would have been to raise the height of the bridge, but that might have made it unavailable to all but the most hardy.

The bridge was envisioned as the "iconic" element of the plan, a symbol that would come to represent both the Kaka'ako area and, indeed, all of downtown Honolulu.

As planning moves forward, it would be sensible to revisit the idea of including a visual "icon" in the overall plan. We have today Diamond Head and the Aloha Tower, somewhat restored to its former prominence. Between them, Honolulu deserves a third symbol.

It need not be a massive architectural presence such as the Sydney Opera House or the Golden Gate Bridge. It might be something more natural, in tune with our environment and cultural history. One thought is for a massive coconut grove, emblematic of those planted by Hawai'i ali'i of old, perhaps lit at night as a beacon to anyone arriving in the Islands by ship or by air.

Plans will continue to evolve as we move forward, and that is as it should be. The emergence of the UH medical school and related life sciences facilities on public and private land have now become a necessary part of the overall scenario.

The critical point is that this is public property that should be treated as the gem it is, or at least has the potential to become. Treat it that way and it will be difficult to go wrong.