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16 .A7,1II TERRITO£i£dL PLANNING EO .ARD
<br />of two types of projects: those to be financed by the
<br />County alone; and those to be financed jointly by the
<br />County and the Federal Government. In this connection,
<br />the United States District Engineer's Office has recently
<br />made studies which will determine the extent of Federal
<br />participation at this time. Should the District Office
<br />recommend the project it appears very probable that a
<br />Federal grant will be allocated. The program, as at
<br />present planned would include the following units, some
<br />of which are shown on the Master Plan accompanying
<br />this report:
<br />1. An intercepting canal and dam to divert flood
<br />water intercepted by the Hilo Boarding School
<br />Ditch into the Waipahoehoe Stream.
<br />2. A flood wall along the southeast side of the Wai-
<br />pahoehoe Stream from above the Punahoa Chlori-
<br />nation Plant to the Piihonua Park pavilion.
<br />3. A storm sewer to intercept the overflow from the
<br />Waiolama Dam above Kinoole Street and divert
<br />it into Hilo Bay.
<br />4. Improvement and addition to the height of walls
<br />along the Waiolama Sanitary Canal.
<br />5. Reconstruction of the dam across the neck of the
<br />Wailoa River, and the installation of automatic
<br />flood gates to control the water level of Waiakea
<br />Fish Pond.
<br />6. Improvement of Waiakea Pond by dredging, recla-
<br />mation of swamp land, building of flood walls
<br />and construction of adequate mooring (landing)
<br />strips for sampans and small pleasure craft.
<br />7. The Waiakea flood- Control Unit (Kapiolani) con-
<br />sisting of open canals, together with the neces-
<br />sary intercepting ditches and intakes.
<br />8. Intercepting dams and the development of reten-
<br />tion reservoirs in the Waiakea District and at
<br />Camp 7 to increase the subterranean flows. I
<br />9. The widening and improvement of the entrance of
<br />Wailoa Stream.
<br />10. Construction of intercepting canals in the Puueo
<br />District.
<br />Such a program obviously will require many years
<br />for its completion, and can only be realized with Fed-
<br />eral aid in a direct grant, and /or construction by the
<br />Federal Government under its Flood- Control Act. Cost
<br />of lands, damages to property, and minor construction
<br />work would be financed by the County.
<br />Of primary importance is, of course, the provision
<br />for major thoroughfares for Hilo's future development.
<br />The connection from Kilauea Avenue to Kalanianaole
<br />Street is a very significant improvement in this Plan
<br />to eliminate much of downtown Hilo's present traffic
<br />congestion of compelling traffic to East Hilo via Ki-
<br />lauea and Kinoole Streets through the City. Signifi-
<br />cant also are the various new major thoroughfares
<br />paralleling the West outline of Waiakea Pond and Wai-
<br />loa River, the continuation of Maile Street across Wai-
<br />loa River to Puumaile Street and the extension of Ka-
<br />lanikoa Avenue to Kamehameha Avenue.
<br />Waiakea Fish Pond presents a civic opportunity for
<br />Hilo to develop a water -way which would be one of the
<br />outstanding aquatic playgrounds of the Territory and
<br />a tourist attraction of the first degree. Flood - control
<br />planning can do much to alleviate what has possibly
<br />been a source of detraction of this nucleus of Hilo's
<br />potentially esthetic composition. The creation of cir-
<br />cumferential boulevards for Hilo will provide much
<br />enjoyment for residents and visitors as well. In fact
<br />the. various local civic organizations are to be com-
<br />mended for the preservation of their beautiful shore-
<br />line from the new Puumaile Home to Cocoanut Island.
<br />While. this chain of parks is brol4 �en by the industrial
<br />area surrounding the pier and harbor development
<br />(which, while essentially necessary can be landscaped
<br />and beautified), there appears to be no good economic
<br />background for the disregard of scenic values from
<br />Cocoanut Island..to Wailuku River which now, except
<br />for the limited green..areas, presents to the visitor an
<br />atmosphere of disorder in planning.
<br />As in the case of Honolulu pointed out by Lewis
<br />Mumford nationally famous planner, so in the case of
<br />Hilo, future expansion should provide for the filling in
<br />of open spaces for if axlmum returns on investment in
<br />utilities in terms of costs. per acre of land and per
<br />capita rather than a sprawling extension and finger-
<br />like growth so conspicuously an earmark of America's
<br />spoiled countryside.
<br />The hinterland of Hawaii is large —so large that its
<br />resources of potable water, equable sunshine, moun-
<br />tain scenery and potential tourist trade are sufficient
<br />to accommodate millions rather than thousands. Lo-
<br />cated on a peaceful sunny slope, delightfully cool be-
<br />cause of its continuous and well- oriented trade .winds,
<br />supplied with a large excess of now 'wasting ground -
<br />water and refreshing rainfall exceeding that of any
<br />Mainland city of the United States —a setting so dif,
<br />ferent, in fact, that it must be treated with a definite.
<br />view of providing for its visitors who will come in .
<br />increasing numbers to participate in its unique ad-
<br />vantages, rather than go ahead commercially bent for
<br />only "local" progress, —Hilo should view the immense
<br />profit which may be hers with proper organization
<br />and use of its scenic resources.
<br />THE MASTER PLAN AND ZONING
<br />Much has transpired during the past decade to cause
<br />an expansion and improvement in planning at all levels
<br />of our government. As a result, there are now in the
<br />United States over 2,000 municipalities having planning
<br />commissions or boards; over x,000 counties in the main-
<br />land have county planning commissions; over 1,200
<br />municipalities have zoning ordinances; 46 states have
<br />created state planning boards and the Nation as a whole
<br />is served in the executive arm of its government by a
<br />National Resources Planning Board.
<br />An extensive bibliography of planning works is now
<br />available and has been freely used in our studies of
<br />planning and zoning in the preparation of this and sub-
<br />sequent town plans.
<br />In the following statement resort is made freely to
<br />quotation of abstracts from these sources with a view
<br />of presenting pertinent facts for our emulation of pro-
<br />cedure and technique commensurate with the concepts
<br />and progress of recent mainland planning and zoning
<br />development.
<br />PLANNING.—Planning is largely a matter of study
<br />and analysis of the resources of a community with the
<br />purpose in mind to anticipate its future needs and
<br />trends and to point the way to an orderly, development
<br />of the area. The dictionary defines a plan as "a de-
<br />sign," but a plan is not a static design for it is also
<br />a "method or scheme of action" with a "way pre-
<br />pared to carry out a design." Planning is active not
<br />static, positive not negative, constructive not restric-
<br />tive. John Nolen, one of the country's foremost city
<br />planners, has said:
<br />"With the smaller cities ... the case is simpler.
<br />Comprehensive planning or replanning may be to
<br />them of far - reaching and permanent service. There
<br />is scarcely anything in the smaller places that can-
<br />not be changed. In these cities, for example, rail-
<br />road approaches can be set right; grade crossings
<br />eliminated; waterfronts redeemed for commerce or
<br />recreation, or both; open spaces acquired even in
<br />partly built -up sections; a satisfactory street plan
<br />carried out and adequate main thoroughfares .
<br />established, by cutting new streets if necessary,
<br />and regrouping public buildings; and a park sys-
<br />tem, composed of well - distributed and well-
<br />balanced public grounds, definitely outlined for
<br />gradual and systematic development. Residential
<br />districts can be helped to be attractive and delight-
<br />ful by the determination of housing standards and
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