2008-01-11 THALEKII - Laserfiche WebLink

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there’d be a stop control at the current Mamalahoa Highway, and there’d be a turn down, there’d be a left turn down into the Bypass. Halekii Street would be open. There was never a requirement in the ordinance that there be any restrictions on Halekii Street after the Napoopoo junction is opened. So that would be also open 24 hour a day. There are, you know, as in any case, in reaction to the conditions that exists, the County can have other kinds of traffic controls. These don’t normally come to the Planning Commission. But at the County Council you’ll see restrictions on on-street parking, speed restrictions, left-hand turn restrictions, all those kinds of things that can happen. But at this point and as far as the zoning ordinance is concerned, even if the zoning ordinance isn’t changed, once the Highway is opened then both highways become open as public highways; once the Mamalahoa Bypass is opened the whole distance from Napoopoo to Keauhou, both public highways, Halekii and the Mamalahoa Bypass, then are open as regular public highways, and County owned, and dedicated to the County. DOMINGO: It is hopeful that when everything is completed, then the traffic from South Kona and thereabouts will come through the Bypass Highway, and those also beyond the Napoopoo junction going north may take Halekii Street Bypass through the Mamalahoa Highway all the way over to Keauhou, is that right? YUEN: That’s correct. DOMINGO: And that essentially would lessen the traffic that exists now at the present time. Now what is the status of Alii Highway? YUEN: The County, well, it’s currently not on the State traffic improvement program list for Federal funding. We are still, we’ve basically, the biggest obstacle to Alii Highway or Alii Parkway was the burial near the Makolea Street intersection in Kahaluu. We recently did clear a plan on how to handle that burial with the Burial Council, essentially by bridging over the burial without moving it. So that aspect is done. As far as the timing of building the Highway, I think it’s better to ask the Department of Public Works on that. DOMINGO: Well, probably you would know this, Mr. Yuen, but wasn’t the funding for Alii Highway committed? Wasn’t the fund committed for that Highway years ago? YUEN: Most large highways are funded with Federal funds that come through the State through what’s called the STIP; and those funds were committed in I believe the 2002- 2003 period and then lost because we were not able to start the road because of this burial issue in 2004. The project was ready to start in 2004 when this burial issue surfaced and then the funds were lost because the County was not able to do the project in the timeframe when the STIP funds were available. In the newest STIP, the funds are not in there for the Alii Parkway. DOMINGO: You know, my question that I ask is leaning to the fact that, you know, there will certainly be increased traffic on the Mamalahoa Bypass Road and that they’ll come up to Keauhou. And at the present time there is no outlet, you know, additional outlet for traffic in Alii Drive or down Keauhou. And the only one that I can think of right now is Kam III Road, Kamehameha III Road. And knowing now that the Alii Bypass is a far-fetched idea and that it will not take place, you know, during the interim, this Commission has been entertaining applications for SMA permits which in turn if approved would further generate more traffic along Alii Drive and Kamehameha III Road. And my concern now is that because we’re EXHIBIT A 5