HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0715.040 2022-2024 p/Pc1
bill 131
COVNTycauNiy � r � e
For Bill 131-24'74 F 3: 55
Please vote to let Bill 131-24 go forward! We, the people of Puna, Hawaiians, Hawaii Born, and
Hawaii Residents need to have an alternate route to and from Hilo! If there is a serious
accident on Hwy. 130; all traffic comes to a stand-still. With the exception of the early morning
week-day rerouting, there is always a long line of cars in the Hilo direction waiting to pass
through the Hwy.130 intersection with Shower Dr. /Pohaku Rd..
Right now we have a county road (Government Beach Rd.)that connects H.P.P. and Hawaiian
Beaches. One other option, Railroad, is not open to the public. Another option is 35th Street,
which needs paving, but goes from Pohaku Rd. all the way to Ainaloa. There may be others.
Since there may be future lava flows heading to Puna, it makes sense to have on option mauka
and one option makai of Hwy. 130. Our Government Beach Road is designated a "Road in
Limbo", and is in poor shape. Often, when we are on Hwy. 130 across from H.P.P., and traffic
has come to a standstill, we would love to be able to go home to Hawaiian Beaches via
Government Beach Road, but we don't want to ruin our car.
As a first step, before an alternate route to Hilo is agreed on, it would be great if the county
kept up this road. Then it could serve as a bypass in case of a serious accident on Hwy. 130 in
Puna, and many of us Punatics would be very grateful!
The other portion of Government Beach Road from Hawaiian Beaches to Papaya Farms Rd.,
also a road in limbo, used to be regularly graded and gravel added as soon as we called our
former County Council Representative Gary Safarik. Then, during the 2018 lava flow, it was
paved to make it easier for Wa'a Wa'a and Kapoho residents to evacuate. Ideally, that should
be done to the stretch of road connecting Hawaiian Beaches and H.P.P. With a few turn-outs
added, it would make it easy for Hawaiian Beaches residents and others to evacuate, should
the lava threaten Pahoa again. When it happened in 2014, this stretch was graded, gravel
added, and growth on the sides cut back. We need to at least reach that point again! Then the
consultants can decide which road to turn into an alternate. That would help all the people in
Puna.
Respectfully submitted by Magdalene Phillips, 15-2717 Welea St., Pahoa, HI, 96778
Comm. No. S.
Ref. To:
Ref. Dote m 6 2024