HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0217.025 2020-2022 May 3, 2021
To: Office of the County Clerk
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, HI 96720 COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
RE: Road improvement in Hawaiian Acres RECEIVED
Resolution 105-21 Time 1005 a.m. By
Date MAY 0 3 2021
To whom It may concern:
Aloha. My name is Tarael Herron-Thorpe. I have lived in Hawaiian Acres for more than half
of the 45+ years that I have lived on Hawai'i Island. My partner, Gail Aloha (Kaila) Dehmer
and I live on our property on A'o Road (2 Rd.) between F Road and G Road. It takes us
about 25 to 30 minutes to drive to a county Road (South Kulani Road) from our home. The
condition of the Roads in Hawaiian Acres has always been bad no matter how much
maintenance is performed. Up to this date we have donated more than $500 to improvement
of the roads that we use to the folks who actually do the maintenance work, this year.
Only a few months ago there were numerous loads of gravel placed on 1 Rd from the end of
the pavement to F Road as well as grading . After the recent weeks of rain that road is as
bad or worse than before the work was done. In addition the single lane "paved" portion of 1
Road has had many washed out areas leaving many deep holes in the pavement.
This is not unusual for Hawaiian Acres. What is unusual is the amount of rain has increased
from what used to be 140- 180 inches per year, to 250 to over 300 inches a year in the last
few years. This is likely due to global warming and is quite common knowledge to most
reasonable people in Hawaii. That being said, it is likely to increase in the future.
There is no question to us that major improvements of the roads would cost millions of
dollars and could only be accomplished by some form of federal funding since the County is
now dealing with the financial woes of the COVID outbreak.
That being said we are both in favor of major- more permanent improvements of the roads
in Hawaiian Acres. We would also be willing to share in the financial burden of that should it
come to pass.
I have uploaded some pictures as examples of the roads, however, no picture can do justice
to the experience of driving these roads.
Mahalo for your consideration
Tarael Herron-Thorpe
Gail Aloha Dehmer
Keaau, HI 96749
Comm. No. :2'11:1°
Ref. To: P I PC/
Ref. Dote 1MAY e 4 2021