Communication Number 2019-14 Waikoloa 2nd Access Rd Report

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Waikoloa Subcommittee's Second Access Road Report • Make for more pleasant travel • Make possible future school development, e.g., a S. Kohala area high school A Second Road into and out of Waikoloa Village during an Emergency Evacuation would: • Decrease the amount of time needed to evacuate residents, workers, and visitors • Be SIGNIFICANTLY Safer, possibly saving lives • Reassure Villagers in times of crisis, avoiding dangerous driving, and chaos • Give Villagers faith in the County's commitment to their safety and well-being. • Give evacuees better access to other possible infrastructure improvement (Kawaihae Bypass, Lalamilo Connector) and thus more ways to get to safe zones Conclusion: There are multiple benefits for people and commerce in the South Kohala District from construction of a Second Access Road in and out of Waikoloa Village. 8. CDP & General Plan Support for Second Access Road, Improved Infrastructure in Waikoloa In the South Kohala Community Development Plan (SKCDP), a Second Access Road for ingress and egress for Waikoloa was the top priority, even exceeding the desire for a public high school in the region. At the early stages of development, the County Research and Development Department assisted South Kohala volunteers in holding over 60 small & large group meetings in 2006-2007. (See Appendix CDP -2A & 2B) Referenced earlier in this report, the SKCDP documents: • Growth in population (Appendix CDP -3) • Housing development projections (Appendix CDP -3A & 3B) • Waikoloa Zoning Map, indicating much potential for development such as the Waikoloa Plaza (Appendix CDP -4) In the specific Waikoloa Policies for the CDP, • Policy 3 addresses Transportation & Circulation (Appendix CDP -5) • Strategy 3.1 recommends planning, funding, and constructing a Second Access Road to Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway, highlighting the evacuation needs of the Village, most likely needed in the case of wildfires and documenting the recent history of those. The area's dry climate, combined with the highly flammable introduced vegetation consisting primarily of fountain grass and kiawe trees, and the frequency of high winds make the Waikoloa area especially prone to large-scale wildfires. (Appendix CDP -6) • Strategy 3.3 recommends an Upgrade of the Emergency Exit Road from Hulu St. to the Queen Ka'ahumanu Hwy. that was created after the major wildfire in 2005. (Appendix CDP -7) • Strategy 3.5 recommends the Development of a Master Circulation Plan for Waikoloa Village. (Appendix CDP -8) June 18, 2019 Page 14 o17