Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022

Jeanné Kapela, member of the state House of Representatives sent out a message on Sunday about her opposition to the luxury residential community planned for Opihihale, just north of Miloli'i. Photo from Kapela

OPPOSITION TO THE OPIHIHALE LUXURY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT proposal in South Kona has come from Jeanné Kapela who represents the area and parts of Ka'u in the state House of Representatives. Kapela headlined her statement on Sunday with "Kona is Not for Sale." She said, "Recently, a company called Kona Estates Fund II, LLC has been promoting what they refer to as an investment opportunity in The Kona Estates at Opihihale, a 324-acre luxury oceanfront project on the Kona Coast.
    "When I first heard about the project, I was shocked. Its developers claim that they are currently taking minimum pledges of at least $100,000 in the hopes of raising $20 million to build luxury estates for the wealthy along West Hawai'i's iconic and historic shorelines.
    "Kona Estates Fund II, LLC says that they are focused on sustainability, working with the community, and embracing the value of aloha. Yet, their project, at its core, shows no aloha for Hawai'i's people, who are facing a housing crisis," wrote Kapela.

A photo used on investinkona.com to encourage investment  in the resort living development project proposed at Opihihale.

   "According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's 2022 Out of Reach report, the median wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment on Hawai'i Island without being cost burdened is $29.44/hour. The annual income required to afford a two-bedroom apartment is at least $61,240/year.
    "We do not need more luxury properties on the Kona Coast. We need housing that is affordable for local residents. Thankfully, those who are operating the Kona Estates Fund II, LLC development scheme have not applied for many of the necessary permits, giving us ample time to make our voices heard.
    "I am firmly opposed to any attempt to commodify our ʻāina for rich nonresident investors, who care little about the sustainability of our islands. If Kona Estates Fund II, LLC wants to show respect for the spirit of aloha, they will recognize that their project undermines the well-being of Hawai'i's people. As your representative, I will fight to put people before profit, always."
See the developers' online presentation with drone footage of the land at https://investinkona.com/the-project-location/.
    Kapela currently represents the state House of Representatives district from Honu'apo into Kona and is running in the General Election Nov. 8, is for the reconfigured district spanning from Volcano into South Kona. 
    Hawai'i Public Radio writer Ku'uwehi Hiraishi recently covered the Opihihale story. She wrote:                

A photo used on investinkona.com to encourage investment  in the resort living development project proposed at Opihihale.

  "Community opposition is growing over concerns that the development doesn’t align with county plans, current zoning, or the vision of the surrounding local community. Hawaiʻi County Council Chair Maile David, who represents Ka'u and the Opihihale area, says she’s been receiving inquiries from constituents concerned over the proposed development. "It just took us, took me by surprise," David told Hiraishi. "When I started getting these emails saying they were going to develop Opihihale. And I said, ʻWhat? Who said so?'" Hiraishi wrote that David says she "is concerned the project doesn’t fit the community." Hiraishi's story noted that Opihihale land along Māmalahoa Highway at mile marker 93 was bought in 2018 by Beverly Hills-based Kona Development Partners. Jeff Darrow, deputy planning director for
Hawaiʻi County, told HPR that his department has not received any permit applications for the project.
    "We know as much as you do in the sense that we've been informed about this project mainly through complaints," says Darrow. "We’ve received a number of calls relating to a website called investinkona.com. It’s a website that’s asking for donations or investments in this project. Right now it’s asking for donations of $100,000 or more.
    "From a planning standpoint, they would have to go through a change of zone, and then they would also have to go through a special permit for this lodge operation," says Darrow. "A big part of being able to get approved for a rezoning requires a unit of water for each proposed lot or unit. My understanding is there is no county water available in that area." Darrow also told HPR that the Opihihale developers would need approvals from Planning Department, Leeward Planning Commission, and Hawaiʻi County Council to proceed.

A photo used on investinkona.com to encourage investment  in the resort living development project proposed at Opihihale.

    "If you look at our Community Development Plans, that whole area in the South Kona area has been identified as areas worth preserving — left in agriculture and left in open space," says Darrow. "And so that makes the process to apply for something like this… that’s a huge hurdle." He noted that soliciting investors is nothing new to development projects of this size and that public hearings would be triggered once the developers seek approvals.
    "When the Planning Department receives an application and schedules a hearing date before the Leeward Planning Commission, at that time, there will be a public hearing," Darrow told HPR. "Additionally, once the application goes to the Hawaiʻi County Council, there will be other opportunities for public hearings."
    Listen to the Hawai'i Public Radio story at https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2022-08-31/investor-website-for-potential-luxury-development-in-opihihale-sparks-community-concerns?fbclid=IwAR0feSSnljPYL3BI2YCZ6R6X1NSR6PNzloe1UycrEqMZ2L5GUtIdcRoE6Bg.
    Read the Aug. 10 story on the proposed development in The Ka'u Calendar News Briefs at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022_08_10_archive.html and the Aug. 12 story with a video of the bulldozer at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022_08_12_archive.html.
    Read the cover story on Opihihale in the September edition of The Ka'u Calendar at www.kaucalendar.com and in print.