2025-12-10 Cultural Resources Commission Meeting

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Chair Clark left the meeting at 11:20 a.m., and quorum was confirmed with five commissioners. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:12:57] Mr. Benjamin Barna, a consultant from Stantec,was present to provide a presentation, along with Mr. Neil Erickson from the Office of Housing and Community Development. Mr. Barna stated that the project had been brought to him in 2022, at which time he began investigating the property. The project involved the development of workforce housing on a parcel owned by the County in the `Ainako neighborhood. The parcel encompassed approximately 60.5 acres,with the proposed development planned to utilize about 38-40 acres, designed to fit well into the existing landscape and surrounding features. The project area is located across from the hospital. Mr. Barna noted that the proposed housing was in very early conceptual stages, and that no topographic survey or geotechnical studies had yet been conducted. An EA was being prepared to evaluate potential impacts, including effects on historic properties. The draft EA had been completed and public comments were received. Stantec reported that they are working on the final EA but sought consultation with the CRC prior to finalization. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:18:04] Mr. Barna referenced a map showing the parcel boundary on the north side and topographic features, including a pu`u on the makai end of the parcel and a stream along the Puna side. A road was planned to provide access to Waianuenue Avenue. He reviewed previous reports and the HICRIS database, noting that a previously recorded archaeological site existed on the parcel, with other sites identified elsewhere. On the south side, labeled AF-2, features had been documented during a reconnaissance survey conducted in the 1990s-2000s,which included rock mounds and general agricultural features, although no formal inventory survey had been completed. He also referenced a 1978 archaeological reconnaissance survey, which filled a gap in the 1976 EA. At that time, the County had considered establishing a wilderness park. The 1978 survey identified six clusters of archaeological features, including rock walls and rock mounds, but no additional archaeological features were documented. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:22:32] Mr. Barna stated that, as part of their background research,they reviewed models and historical studies estimating population distribution prior to the 1800s, which indicated that few people lived in the project area. He also consulted with university researchers and biogeographers, who suggested that the soil in the area may not be highly suitable for settlement. The team reviewed place names and spoke with a representative from SHPD, discussing street names and noting that some traditional knowledge had been lost over time. Mr. Barna also noted that, in the late 1890s, Hilo transitioned its water system from open ditches fed by springs and streams to closed pipes supplied by surface streams. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:30:44] Mr. Barna displayed a 1901 map showing 15 numbered parcels within the project area, noting that native tenants had lived on some of the parcels and that sugar cane had been cultivated on others. During the archaeological survey,the team mapped and recorded features across the property, identifying 212 individual features, though most were overgrown. Features included rock mounds, rock walls, the Hilo Boarding School ditch constructed in the 1970s, Site T1—a spring with a concrete foundation for the old Cultural Resources Commission December 10,2025 Minutes Page 7 of 10