Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutFusch, Richard Tsuneda, Kaci From:Dick Fusch <rdfusch@owu.edu> Sent:Friday, September 11, 2026 2:04 PM To:Council Testimony Subject:Waikoloa Green Project To: Members, Hawai’i County Council From: Richard Fusch (PhD); Waikoloa Village resident Re: Waikoloa Green Project Dear Members: I write to object to the approval by the Council of the Waikoloa Green Project. I do not do this lightly or with little forethought nor am I doing this because as a resident of Waikoloa Village I believe that no new developments should ever occur here (so-called “nimbyism”). Before I outline my objections to this project in detail a little information re: my background may be helpful in understanding my objections. I hold a PhD in Geography (U. of Oregon, 1972) with specialties in urban planning, urban design related to public policy and the historic geography of urban development. I served as Assistant Professor of Geography at Hunter College, City University of New York (1972-73), and Professor of Geography and Director of the Program in Urban Studies at Ohio Wesleyan University (1973- 2012). Most relevant to my comments which follow is that in addition to my teaching and published research on a variety of urban topics I have served on two Planning and Zoning Commissions (Delaware, Ohio, 1978-1982 and Powell, Ohio, 2003-2017). Consequently I am quite familiar with Master Plan development, building and zoning regulations and urban design related to urban public policy. I have several concerns about the Waikoloa Green Project generally, but three which are significant and I shall focus on those. One of those concerns involves the impacts of this proposed development on the water resources of Waikoloa Village. One involves the impacts of this proposed development on a necessary evacuation of the population due to a wildfire absent a second viable road out of the village. The last concern is that approval of this development will, in my opinion, violate your own comprehensive General Plan just adopted in June 2026. My first objection is based on the long term impact of this project on the water resources of Waikoloa Village. Frankly, the water use impacts of this project on Waikoloa Village at build out will put the available water resources to the village residents into a critical state! For a thorough study of this possible catastrophe I refer the Council to the following research: Patricia Tummons: “Waikoloa Green Project Wins Favor With County, But Water Issues Loom,” Environment Hawai’i, A Monthly Newsletter, Vol. 37, No. 3, September, 2026, (pp. 1 and 7-9). If no one on the Council is familiar with this publication I can provide copies (see reference note at the end of this email). The aforementioned article outlines in detail the impacts of this large development on the Waimea Aquifer. To summarize briefly, as you know this project will add four hundred apartment units and 300 housing units to the village some of which will be used for agriculture, in what is essentially a semi-desert on Hawai’i Island, with a highly limited aquifer! The State of Hawaii Water Resource Protection plan estimates the aquifer’s sustainable yield at 16 million gallons per day. The current use is approximately 14 million gallons per day (p.7 of article). The article 1 further states: “the water demand at full build out is estimated at 1.29 million gallons/day” (p.8 of article). This is an unsustainable project and should be rejected on this basis alone. However there is a second very significant reason this project should be rejected and that is related to the fact that there is only one viable road out of this village should an evacuation of the village be required due to a wildfire (or other hazardous incident). I know you all have heard from many people about this problem and it is an important issue facing this community. To reiterate, this issue is very serious and the approval of the Waikoloa Green Project will only increase the seriousness of this matter. This project will add 700 housing units to the village. Using current U.S. Census Bureau data for average household size (3.15 persons per household) that will add 2,025 people to the village. Absent a second road, In the event of an evacuation that will put an additional 1,000 or more vehicles on one road (Waikoloa Road); and if it is blocked, then what? Regardless of any positive argument made about the available current evacuation routes (one is apparently under construction as I write this) absent a viable second road out of this village, the current evacuation routes are NOT viable. What is viability in this case? What is required is a second road out of the village not connected to Waikoloa Road. The second road must go in a different direction than the current Waikoloa Road. This second road must be a minimum two lane paved road with a wide enough berm on both sides to get any stalled or broken down vehicles out of the way and/or allow for the passage of vehicles around any accident that may have occurred (e.g. similar to Paniolo Ave. or Waikoloa Rd.). None of this can be accomplished on the evacuation routes which now exist. One broken down car or accident along these two routes will immediately stall any necessary evacuation. Let me address building density in Waikoloa Village. I do not know the aerial size of Waikoloa Village nor do I know the number of houses in the village which would allow me to determine the exact housing density, but from long service on two planning commissions and research on suburbanization conducted in the U.S. (see reference note at the end of this email) Waikoloa Village approximates the character and shape of a typical American suburban development. The houses are about 25-30 feet apart (side yard setbacks of approximately 15 feet per house), with underground utilities, large etc. set along fairly wide streets with many cul-de-sacs. And surprisingly many flag lots (in the last 30 years most city zoning codes in the U.S. have outlawed flag lots). And lots of fire hydrants, sidewalks, etc. Now, about the fire hydrants. The Hawaiian Water Co. has eight wells. In the event of a power outage four are protected by hydrocarbon fuel powered generators. There is enough fuel for 48 hours. A two day power outage leads to a complete water shutoff to the village. If in the event of a HECO electrical shutoff due to high winds and/or wildfire the village runs out of water in two days. Given the Lahaina experience we all know what HECO will do (and probably should do) in the event of a high winds and a threat of wildfire. Given the density of housing in the village and the potential of an electrical shutdown, the Fire Departments will have a very difficult time fighting a wildfire which gets into the village. An accident or vehicle breakdown on any of the two evacuation routes out of the village combined with a wildfire in the village and Waikoloa village could become another Lahaina. A project that adds more than 2000 people to the village absent a second viable road out of the village must be rejected! This brings me to item three: after careful reading of the newly adopted General Plan, in my opinion approving this project violates the plan. Let me refer you to the sections of the plan an approval would violate (again my opinion; I am not a lawyer). 2 1. Chapter 4, Section 4.1 Land Use, PP. 73-102 specifically Objective 10, Policy 10.3 (water use); P. 80 Objective 12, Policies (hazards)12.3, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7, 12.8, 12.10, 12.e and 12.f; PP. 81-82 2. Chapter 4, Section 4.3 Public Utilities Objective 25, Policy 25.1(water) Objective 26, Policies 26.2, 26.6, 26.10, 26.12 and 26.15 I know this is not an easy decision for you to make, but in the best interests of the people of Waikoloa Village and the people of this island I believe this project should be rejected. Thank you for reading this very long email and considering its arguments. Richard Fusch Reference note; 1. Environment Hawaii, 421 Ka’anini St, Hilo, 96720is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation; Newsletter available by subscription. Tel: 808-933-2455 2. Reference to my research: Richard Fusch and Larry R. Ford: "Architecture and the Geography of the American City"; The Geographical Review, Vol. 73, No. 3, July, 1983, pp. 324-340 3