2016-09-28 BDHRA Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hilo, I wholeheartedly support this project and think that it is long needed. I’m here to speak on behalf of Hilo Bayfront Trails of which I am the president, and it’s a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. I just wanted to give you an update on where we’re at because exciting things are happening and then it flows right into this Banyan Drive Redevelopment as the next phases, so. This is our plan map. Sorry for you folks back there, you only can see one side of this. As you can see, the orange lines are what was master planned in the Hilo Bayfront Trails plan and was approved by SMA. So we are ready to go with this. This also includes a loop along Banyan Drive as it is currently configured. Now, whatever you folks decide on your master planning of your map, you know, I was just sitting here getting ready to testify and I remembered that it was almost exactly 10 years ago in 2006 that we were sitting in this very room talking about the dream of a trail here. It was a meeting organized by then Mayor, Harry Kim, and we had all the stakeholders in this room and it was a really exciting time because at this point when you guys are master planning, you can dream big. And what I asked for at the last, or last-last meeting was that you guys consider implementing as a trail on the map a trail around the outside of the resorts as Mr. Inouye said. I see that you’re looking at park space throughout that whole area and I think that’s wonderful, but the beauty of your guys process right now is, this is the plan, this is the dream, this is the dream that we did back 10 years ago and I want to tell you guys that this dream is really coming true. We are working with the County of Hawai‘i on phase I. And I’m going to put down this microphone to show you where phase I is, but phase I is scheduled to start next week Monday, October 3rd. It’s been surveyed out, the contractor’s ready to go, we cleared historic preservation, our SMA was done long time ago. We’re ready to actually dig dirt and start on phase I. Banyan Drive was going to be our phase II, but when this Banyan Drive Redevelopment Agency came up, then Banyan Drive is a little bit up in the air. We hope that you guys will put down the plan and if it is ready for our phase II, that’ll be our phase II. If it is not, we got other places we can go. And I’ll show you in Wailoa State Park what could be our phase II, and working with DLNR and the State Parks guys, they have their phase I going. So I’m gonna give you a quick update, and folks behind I can show you guys the map after if you guys are interested. So I’ll put this down. Mr. Kubota proceeded to show the Agency the location of phase I of their project using a map he provided. He pointed out landmarks and the location of the planned trails. He also briefly mentioned their funding sources, and added that they will be fundraising for phase II. The estimated completion time for phase I of their project is December 2016. The trails will be 12 feet wide, concrete paths, with a stripe down the middle. Phase I of the State Park section will begin at the small boat harbors, past the Wailoa Pavilion 1, 2, and 3, and go back toward Waiākea Villas. Mr. Kubota asked that the Agency consider putting a trail along the ocean side of the resorts, between Coconut Island and Hilo Hawaiian, and asked that it be put in the plan. He thanked the Agency for their service and for their support of Hilo Bayfront Trails. Page 7 of 19 Banyan Drive Hawai‘i Redevelopment Agency September 28, 2016, Minutes