Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 28, 2024

 

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, Green Sand Beach, range fire threats and a possible Hawaiian immersion school were among topics  at the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting on Wednesday evening. Photo by Julia Neal

MORE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE FUTURE OF KAʻŪ drew support from people attending the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting on Wednesday in Ocean View. The volunteer Committee, designed to help align proposed projects and solutions with Kaʻū Community Development Plan, meets regularly, following some eight years of public meetings, research and decisions to create the KCDP. Read and browse through maps, illustrations and photos about Kaʻū in the KCDP at https://www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/general-plan-community-planning/cdp/kau/doc.
    Attendees at Wednesday's meeting, held at St. Jude's Church and on Zoom, suggested the Action Committee meetings focus more on "Action" than "meetings," in the words of Ron Ebert who served for years on the Kaʻū Community Development Committee Steering Committee to develop the KCDP. Suggestions included keeping issues on the Action Committee agenda like reducing desecration of Mahana Bay, Papakolea Green Sand Beach and the trail walked and driven by tourists and locals going there. Another issue that attendees said should be regularly "agendized" is the Punalu'u development proposal by Black Sand Beach, LLC, with its upcoming public hearing.

Mahana Bay, Papakolea Green Sand Beach, is promoted by this photo in Travel +Leisure   online as one of the few green sand beaches in the world. The Kaʻū CDP Action Committee has its management on its agenda. Photo from Travel + Leisure

    Ebert made his own suggestion that the Action Committee recommend establishing fire escape routes for Green Sand and Mark Twain subdivisions near Na'alehu. He suggested the county purchase lots in each of the neighborhoods and make them a park that would provide ingress and egress and serve as an escape route and a path for firefighter access. He noted range fires in the past when people were trapped in their homes and could not escape. Fortunately, no one was injured, he said. One vacant home burned in 2015.
    Among those who spoke up for more action from the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee was Shophia Hanoa,  She said kupuna and other concerned citizens have been meeting with Punalu'u landowners and planners to help insure that the right thing is done for community and environment. She said she has always advocated for transparency and more public involvement and urged the Action Committee to make Punalu'u a regular item on the agenda.

A vacant home destroyed by a range fire in Green Sands subdivision in 2015.  A call for escape routes for residents was repeated at KCDP Action Committee meeting on Wednesday. Photo by Darryl Lee

 She urged inclusion of more kupuna in the stewardship of Punalu'u. Another advocate for more action at the Action Committee was Punalu'u resident, fisherman and former County Council member Guy Enriques. He suggested the Action Committee study the Punalu'u plan in light of the Kaʻū Community Development Plan in order to give guidance to the community, county Planning Department, and Planning Commission. The commission will hold a public hearing on March 7 for a Special Management Area permit to develop 234 accommodation units and other projects at Punalu'u. Enriques said the Kaʻū Community Development Plan is very clear about the desires of the community and suggested Action Committee study the development in light of its adherence to the KCDP.
    He said it could be helpful if the Action Committee could meet more than quarterly. County Planning Department staff noted that the meetings are now on zoom and archived on YouTube to encourage more community outreach.
    Action Committee member Jason Masters made numerous suggestions for agenda items, including Punalu'u and a water bottling plant planned for Pāhala.
    Another item that came up is the possibility of establishing a Hawaiian immersion school in Ka'u, possibly at Kamehameha Schools' Kahuku Ranch. Raylene Moses spoke on the subject and said a survey and other outreach to the community and potential sponsors have drawn support.To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

BROKEN DOWN INFRASTRUCTURE AT PUNALU'U has drawn support for the development plan from two owners of a condominium at Sea Mountain, which is within the resort community. Vance Bjorn and Matt Baker wrote to the Windward Planning Commission, which is considering issuing a Special Management Area permit for the project and has scheduled a public hearing in Hilo and by zoom for March 7. The two wrote that they support development plans submitted by Black Sand Beach LLC.

Infrastructure in disrepair along the Punalu'u coast threatens the environment,  according to a letter from two condo owners there. Photo from Ka'u CDP

    They wrote that "this project represents a critical opportunity for our community, especially in addressing the longstanding infrastructure challenges faced by the Punalu'u area. For over fifty years, the water and wastewater treatment plants serving Punalu'u have operated without significant updates or improvements. Originally designed in the 1970s to accommodate a capacity of 2,500+ units, these facilities now serve only 100 families. This underutilization poses not only a financial inefficiency but also a missed opportunity for modernization and environmental protection for the Punalu'u beach area.
    "The current financial model underpinning our wastewater treatment infrastructure is unsustainable. The cost of investing in and upgrading such a large system for a small number of users is prohibitive without the addition of new homes to share in the financial and environmental benefits of such an investment. The proposed development by Black Sand Beach LLC offers a viable solution to this challenge by expanding the residential and commercial base, thereby making the necessary investments in our water and wastewater treatment facilities financially feasible."
    "The county bathrooms located by the ocean are provided fresh water from the Punalu'u water

Read the plan at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/ weblink/1/doc/127617/Page1.aspx.

company, but the environmental benefits of integrating the county bathrooms into the sewer system cannot be overstated. Currently, these facilities rely on septic or cess pool tanks, which require regular pumping and pose a risk to our coastal ecosystems. Connecting them to the sewer lines would represent a significant step forward in our community's efforts to protect and preserve our natural environment. Moreover, it is imperative to address the sustainability and financial viability of the Punalu'u Water System, especially for the 100 families and county bathrooms that are currently depending on it.
    "Should the proposed development by Black Sand Beach LLC not proceed as anticipated, there is a legitimate concern that the developer may discontinue their financial support and /or subsidy for the operation costs of this aging infrastructure. In light of this, we urge the Windward Planning Commission to consider alternative measures or support mechanisms to ensure that these families are not left without essential services or face exorbitant costs for their water and wastewater treatment. Whether through seeking government grants, partnerships, or alternative funding sources, it is crucial that a plan is in place to safeguard the well-being of our community members.
    "In conclusion, the development proposed by Black Sand Beach LLC is more than just a construction project; it is an opportunity for sustainable growth, environmental protection, and water and waste water infrastructure modernization," said the letter from Bjorn and Baker.
    See the development plan and background reports at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/127617/Page1.aspx.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

LIFE IN PRISON IS THE SENTENCE FOR MURDER FOR NA'ALEHU RESIDENT PATRICIA HANOA WONG. County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen announced that 62 year-old Wong is sentenced to life in prison and a consecutive 20-year prison term for the June 2009 murder of Kaycee Maile Smith at a residence in the Orchidland Estates subdivision. The victim, also known as "Bug," was a rodeo star and 
graduate of Kamehameha Schools in Kapalama. She was 21 at the time of her death.
    Also indicted was Peter Fuertes, 55, of Ocean View. According to police, Smith's father, Noel "Bear"

Patricia Hanoa Wong, of Naalehu, gets life in prison for murder.

Smith, likely killed Jeremy Napoleon on June 19, 2007 and turned up dead hours later when his car ran off the road. Police and prosecutors suspect revenge and money involved in these slayings, as well as the slaying of Kaycee Smith. She had a single gunshot wound to her head.