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Community Action 13: Develop and implement place -based strategies to retain village and town
<br />character, including alternatives to Historic District designations.
<br />Need: Competing land uses and dramatic changes in economic drivers have rendered many plantation era
<br />facilities obsolete and crumbling. One example is Honoka'a Historic Downtown with its' old false -front
<br />wooden buildings that are examples of vernacular architecture—architecture of a key historical period
<br />created by people without the help of a professional architect. Many of these buildings were built in the
<br />1920's and 1930's by Japanese and Chinese former plantation workers who left the plantation to start their
<br />own businesses.
<br />There are several compelling reasons to establish historic districts. However, there is also the possibility
<br />that the social character of districts may change through gentrification. Gentrification is the process of
<br />neighborhood revitalization that brings about a change in the socioeconomic status of its residents. Conflict
<br />occurs when a well-established, socially -diverse, historic neighborhood becomes so successful in its
<br />revitalization efforts that its original residents may no longer be able to afford to live there as property taxes
<br />and the cost of other services dramatically increase. With this possibility in mind, there are some who feel
<br />that neighborhoods should be holistically analyzed within the context of the history of its people and the
<br />buildings, and that both should be protected.
<br />Potential Community Lead: Action Committee
<br />Potential Communitv Partners: Honoka'a Business Association
<br />Potential Allies: DLNR State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), County of Hawai'i Cultural Resources
<br />Commission and Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC),
<br />Certified Local Government, National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmark District, Legacy
<br />Lands Conservation Program, Federal Save America's Treasures Program, Historic Hawai'i Foundation,
<br />National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Trust Main Street Center, Hawai'i Tourism Authority and
<br />Big Island Visitors Bureau, Citizens' Institute on Rural Design, Project for Public Spaces, ArtPlace, Sustainable
<br />Design Assessment Team, National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, National
<br />Association of Gateway Communities
<br />Potential Next Steps:
<br />Identify and assess features of rural villages and town that contribute to the strong sense of place in Hamakua,
<br />including local architecture (patterns, colors, and materials of buildings), trees, viewscapes, streetscapes,
<br />signage (street, business, and community), public spaces, and transportation and other infrastructure.
<br />Consider using a "placemaking" approach.
<br />Develop and implement a multi -pronged, place -based plan for preserving and enhancing community
<br />character in each community. Elements of each plan might include:
<br />• A "lighter, quicker, cheaper" strategy to making simple, inexpensive, incremental improvements with big
<br />impact.
<br />• Design and install "gateway" treatments where travelers enter each community.
<br />• Enhance public spaces like squares, parks, and streets with landscaping, seating, art, and other features
<br />to make them attractive, engaging, friendly, and welcoming.
<br />Community Action Guide: 2018
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