2016-05-31 BDHRA Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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DELIMA: Sig. ZANE: I thought about places like Kā‘anapali or Waikoloa and how the development is kind of like big plan, long view, and I think that those are really neat study cases that we can look at. One of the things that I constantly think about also is how can we create an icon for Hilo, and for example, you take Lāna‘i City and they have the pine trees. Kapi‘olani Park, they have all the ironwoods there. Something as simple as plantings create a really nice space, and with all our rain of course we can really grow nice stuff. I always thought of the ‘ōhi‘a; that’s one thing that you don’t see at Banyan Drive now and with the Lehua being the flower of our island, and the cultural belief that the ‘ōhi‘a is the draw, you know like how the ki‘i at Pu‘uhonua, all those big ones, they’re all made out of ‘ōhi‘a and that’s to invite the gods to reside. It’s basically the same thing; ‘ōhi‘a is to attract, to gather. So even that alone is something that we can think about, but really, how can we build and experience for everybody. Not‒‒and really focusing on our local people. We bring our local people, everyone else will follow. DELIMA: Barry. TANIGUCHI: I think the Banyan area is a real beautiful area, but probably the most beautiful part in East Hawai‘i. With the Wailoa Park blended into Ho‘olulu Park, the Banyan peninsula can be developed into a visitor‒‒we need to upgrade the resort area or hotel area to attract visitors, but I don’t think we should over build it and I think we need to do something there. Don’t ask me what, but I we need to do something and until we get‒‒got this redevelopment agency going, and until the State agreed that we can do something with this‒‒I think now’s the time. One thing that I do want to look at is the two‒‒the privately owned properties. One I know is the HELCO plant. They’re not generating there so maybe we can work something out there. The other one is the ice house that really could be moved away from there too; to maybe to another place. And there’s other places. So I think this gives us the opportunity to look at those things. BEGIER: I was very excited when the Mayor called me. I think he was surprised that I didn’t even let him finish asking before I said yes. Because I’ve watched the‒‒I’m from O‘ahu and my first exposure, really, to Banyan Drive was coming as a tourist and staying at the hotels and then joining Rotary and meeting on the top floor of the Naniloa every Wednesday. I would stand there and think, ‘this is just amazing.’ People pay millions of dollars to go have experience places and I’m just standing here having breakfast every Wednesday morning. This‒‒and you know, that’s such a unique location. I completely agree with Sig to look at the fact that places like Kā‘anapali and Waikoloa have a long- range plan, but I’ll admit my personal bias to not ending up like Kā‘anapali or Waikoloa. I’d like to see Banyan Drive be the place that every other resort area in the state says, ‘Gosh they got it right. They got Hawai‘i.’ DELIMA: Well, I appreciate everyone’s comments and I embrace those thoughts as well. Obviously when your name gets mentioned as being part of this agency, people have different views of what the agency should or should not be doing. But I think Page 11