Hawaii Island or Kauai????

[greentara]

Re: Hawaii Island or Kauai????

Originally Posted by Miulang
Shhhh Craig! You supposed to keep Kea'au a secret! Pretty soon you going get plenty more neighbors and going almost be like Honolulu, except the houses going be a little farther apart (until they rezone everything and people are able to short plat their lots, which could happen in the future).

Don't worry I would be a very kool neighbor...

Many thanks for all of the information – it’s looking like Hawaii Island I’m totally priced out of Kauai – the water issue is not a problem for me nor is the cinder road I prefer privacy and definitely don’t mind giving up the amenities for the peace and beauty. Many thanks for the information the aloha spirit is definitely here and I am grateful for the responses. Lots of good information craigwatanabe - I'm printing this page for future reference. Another thing that attracts me to HI is the fact that there is a university there and the possibility that I can complete my graduate work in Anthropology. I'll be visiting in March looking around...mahalo

[greentara]

Re: Hawaii Island or Kauai????

alohabear
Only bad thing is you are far from the hospital. If you have medical problems like a heart attack, you may be dead before help arrived. Hilo needs more than one hospital.

I hear defibrillators are pretty cheap now...

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawaii Island or Kauai????

T
Right now expansion seems to be in the direction of Keaau so the extensions that Hawaii County has built in the opposite direction to Kaumana seems a bit shortsighted. Another blunder for the county of Hawaii.

Actually there is a method to the madness why the County
built the Puainako Extension.When the Saddle Road re-alignment
is complete it will intersect with the Puainako Extension. So
people living in West Hawaii, like yours truly can come over to Hilo quicker.Also the old Kaumana Road was unsafe and dangerous
in my opinion.

http://www.saddleroad.com/


That being said in the works is the re-alignment of
Puainako Street between Komohana and Kawili.Then
Phase II is going to go between Kawili and Kanoelehua.
Last I recall it will be 40 million dollars to do
both Phase I and Phase II.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Hawaii Island or Kauai????

That may allow traffic to flow into Hilo, however Puainako to Kanoelehua can't support that level of traffic especially since it'll bottleneck at the Kilauea/Puainako intersection. To route West Hawaii traffice thru that narrow corridor is asking for trouble from area residents who are already feeling the impact of increased traffic thru that area.

It is my belief that Puna stands a good chance of overtaking Hilo as the political/business center of Hawaii Island. With large tracts of land available for sale or lease in the Kea'au and Pahoa areas I can see Lower Puna becoming a major mixed-use community. The big box retailers have positioned themselves on the outskirts of Hilo in that direction already. Once Shipman Industrial Park lands a lease with one of them that's it.

The problem with the Puainako extension is that it still has to route thru Saddle Road. Albeit the road is getting better, until the Army relenquishes control over Puakaloa, you won't see too much improvement over that stretch of roadway. If it weren't for Waimea, and the redevelopment of Kamuela, I don't think much thought would have gone into expanding in that direction. Kamuela reminds me of Hawaii Kai. Very modern, very eclectic and very isolated and very overpriced.

It seems the population growth of West Hawaii seems to reside on the Volcano side rather than the Waimea side of Kona and that fits well with developmental movement to encompass Puna as the choice of development.

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawaii Island or Kauai????

As far as I understand between Komohana and Kanoelehua, the expanded
and re-aligned Puainako Street is going to be four lanes. I've driven down
that way especially at school time.It isn't any picnic. Hence it should be
able to handle any increase in traffic.

I have my doubts that in the short term Puna will overtake Hilo. Probably
in my lifetime I'll see that. But not in the next 10-15 years. Shipman can't
get their act together about their mega mall plan across from Keaau. So
I don't expect changes overnight. If COSCTO comes into Shipman...well
I might change my opinion.

Don't expect the Military to reliquish control of PTA. If the military was not there Saddle Road would not have existed.Additionally they are financing the re-alignment between Mauna Kea Access Road and m.m 42 {Which is on the western edge of PTA}. The first part of the new road will be open to the public in 2007 between m.m 28 and 34. It is a massive undertaking what they are doing.

I disagree the population growth in future on the West side is going to occur
in and around Waikoloa. Eons of developers are going to b e cashing in their
entitlements gain in the 1970's and 80s. They are projecting Waikoloa to be
the second largest population center on the Big Island after Hilo. The first
of many projects got LUC go-ahead, Bridge Puako a massive 1 billion dollar
project being built out of a 10 year span below Waikoloa.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Hawaii Island or Kauai????

The problem with the Waikoloa area is the pricing of homes and land there which has traditionally kept people from moving there from Hilo where quite a few service workers live and commute to. Unless those developers create a more sustainable affordable housing market there, the only ones living in those tracts will be the ones who can afford it and more than likely the ones who don't need those service jobs in the Waikoloa area.

One of the greatest obsticals that will affect development of the Waiakoloa area you mentioned is the ongoing disputes over sacred lands and native Hawaiian rights there. I saw that rebuttal in this morning's Hawaii Tribune from that lady in Mountain View about your previous editorial. That's the kind of hurdles developers will have to face when it's time to build on those lands.

Yes Shipman needs to get their act together however business is business and eventually things will get hammered out then development will occur. CU Hawaii is already building across the site of that Keaau area you mentioned so it's just a matter of time. The "Mega Mall" site has already been cleared of vegetation.

Shipman's land areas aren't as prone to developmental issues as the Waikoloa area because most of that area is already developed to some point, it's mostly a rezoning from ag to commercial. But because of the way Keaau is changing I believe zoning restrictions will be lifted.

I have a pretty good eye on intuition and Keaau is in a great time and place to develop. I also believe Puna will be the bridge between East and West Hawaii with Keaau being the main entry corridor from Kona to Hilo. Most of the big box retailers and industrial clients in Kona are on that side anyway. Volcano National Park draws many of the tourists that way into Hilo right now. Areas such as Glenview, Mountain View and Kurtistown will be the primary bottlenecks in lower Puna and I foresee those areas to be the resistive blocks to developing Puna.

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawaii Island or Kauai????

Miulang mentioned about the native Hawaiian rights etc about Bridge Puako
project, it wasn't myself. That being said in the Waikoloa and surrounding areaunexploded ordinance is more of a concern than anything else. Evidently
"issues" surrounding Bridge Puako have been resolved and the LUC has given its blessing. As far as I recall there is a bunch other projects in the pipeline for the Waikoloa area.

The editoral I wrote was primarily in regards how people in West Hawaii stick it in their foot when roads are being built. We are our own worst enemy, as you don't see anyone in Hilo complain when the Puainako Extension or Mohuouli Streetextension got built. But the "fringe element" comes out in force in West Hawaii.Check my blog on my thoughts on that womans letter.

I thought the mega mall was going to be built next to the baseball park acrossfrom the Keaau Shopping Center and the Keaau bypass intersection. The land in question was cleared for a topographic view of the land. As far as the paper said nothing is happening.