HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0159.006 2024-202651132
COWM.159
From: Roger Wehrsig
Sent: Monday, April 7, 2025 12:34 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Waikoloa Village - Funding of Second Arterial Road - 2025 Capital Budget -
Aloha Chair Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder, Vice Chair Hustace, and Members of the Committee;
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Waikoloa Village Association, I am submitting testimony to urge you to
include initial engineering funds for a second arterial road for Waikoloa in the 2025 Capital Budget.
Waikoloa Village is experiencing explosive growth. The Village is one of the fastest -growing communities on the Big
Island. 1200 units of new affordable housing and 2100 units of single-family housing are planned, which will
double the population over the next 20 years. And only one road to serve the community.
Wildfires around our community are becoming more frequent and more intense. During the evacuation ordered by
the Mayor in response to the 2021 fire, residents experienced hour-long delays in traffic seeking to exit the Village
on Waikoloa Road and the Hulu emergency road. Had the fire burned into the Village, people trapped in traffic
could have died in their cars.
The County recognized this danger nearly 20 years ago, ranking a second roadway as a `very high priority' in
adopted plans. Four mayors Later, we're still waiting. Without engineering funds in this year's budget, this long -
delayed project will be delayed... again. Even as Waikoloa Village faces increasingly devastating risks of wildfires.
White we realize that the County depends on developers to fund infrastructure improvements as part of their
development plans, and such a commitment is included in the future development plans for the Waikoloa
Height's, there are no stipulations on when the roadway wit[ or is to be completed or if ever it will ever be
completed. Such is the case of the improvements at the Waikoloa Road / Paniolo Ave. / Pua Melia intersection
whereby the County's approval of the development plans for the Waikoloa Highlands was withdrawn by the
County and ultimately, the County took over the cost of the intersection improvements.
With the County's future buildout of it's Kamakoa Nui Affordable Housing development, the County also has a
stake in insuring a secondary roadway is completed for the safety of those residents. The County's latest October
2022's update of projects roughly 1,200 housing units, the same as was allocated under the original and 2007
Mast Plans. A total of 325 units have already been built or are under construction and an additional 875 units are
still programed to be built throughout the Property.
As such it is imperative that the County take a stake in the secondary access roadway and construct the roadway
as expediently as possible while working out any developer's future financial obligations relating to their
development obligations as it relates to the roadway.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Waikoloa Village Association,
ROGER WEHRSIG
General Manager Comm. Sq-�O
Waikoloa Village Association lief. To.
I Rol'. �9ale _=-8 2025