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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0037.001 2002-2004Harry Kim Mayor Dixie Kaetsu Managing Director Peter T. Young , I pcputy Managing Director cfountp of'Wabiail 25Autumn Street, Room 215 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720-4252 •(808)961 $i�D! Fax,(808)96U-6553. , KONA, 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103 • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808)329-5226 • Fax(808)326-5663 January 6, 2003 The Honorable James Y. Arakaki, Chair and Members of the Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Subject: Proposed General Obligation Bonds West Hawaii Civic Center — Design/Construction Dear Chairman Arakaki and Council Members: One of the projects proposed to be funded by a new issue of general obligation bonds is a civic center for West Hawaii. I would like to provide you with some background on this project and information on what is being proposed. Present Status of County Services in West Hawaii At the present time, residents of West Hawaii must go to various sites to obtain County services because the County rents space at different locations, paying in excess of $500,000 a year in rent. There are parking and traffic challenges at several of the sites. In addition, when departments need to increase staffing in West Hawaii, there is not always space available. This is inconvenient for the public, as well as expensive for the County. The population in West Hawaii has grown to the point where a central location for the County's agencies makes sense both fiscally and from a public service perspective. The people of West Hawai` i deserve the convenience and service that a central civic center will provide. Where We Are Now Early in 2001, the Department of Public Works identified a site at Villages ofLa`i`opua that is ideal for a County civic center. The parcel chosen is centrally located in Kealakehe, and has all infrastructure already in place. A copy of my April 16, 2001 letter to Governor Cayetano requesting this land by Executive Order is attached for your information. Please note that we originally hoped that the State would join us in a joint civic center, as we have in Hilo with the State and County buildings, but for various reasons the State is looking at a different area for its needs. Comm. No. File No. Ref. PP-" fed Ref. Date JAN 0 7 2003 January 6, 2003 James Y. Arakaki Page 2 Governor Cayetano supported the County's request, so we began working with the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH) to obtain this land for the County of Hawaii. The process involved approval by the HCDCH Board of Directors as well as by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. After these approvals, the seven acres the County requested was subdivided out of the larger 14 acre parcel, and the Executive Order granting the land to the County ofHawai`i was signed by Governor Cayetano in November of 2002. Where We Would Like to Go Now that the County has obtained the land, we can proceed to develop it. The vision is of a low density development, similar in ambience to the Keahole Airport, in modules that will allow expansion as necessary and will allow construction of modules as financing is available. The first step is to prepare a master plan of the whole development and prepare a design that will be followed for all the modules. We hope to keep planning costs to a minimum by designing a single module that can be used over and over again. The funds from the proposed bond issue ($2 million) are projected to cover the master plan, module design, and construction of the first module, to contain drivers' licensing, motor vehicle registration, and periodic motor vehicle inspections. Depending on the module design and space needs, other agencies could possibly be accommodated in the first module also. Timetable As soon as funds are available, we will select a professional to do the planning and design work. This project will be fast tracked, so that the County can begin moving agencies out of expensive rented space as soon as possible. Conclusion The people of West Hawaii deserve better service, and when completed, this civic center will enable the people to access their County government with the same convenience as persons in East Hawaii, at a single central site with adequate parking and all agencies together. Residents of West Hawaii deserve no less, and I am committed to working with the Council Members from West Hawaii districts to make this civic center a reality. JA ha, / Harry Kim MAYOR Harry Kim Mayor Couutp of'aWai`i 25 Aupuni Street, Room 215 • Hilo, Hawaii 967204252 • (808) 961-8211 • Fax (808) 961-6553 KONA: 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103 • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808)329-5226 • Fax(808)326-5663 April 16, 2001 The Honorable Benjamin J. Cayetano Governor State of Hawai'i Executive Chambers Hawai'i State Capitol Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813 Subject: Site for County/State Office Complex, West Hawaii Dear Governor Cayetano: Dixie Kaetsu Managing Director Peter I Young Deputy Managing Director After working with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, we have identified a site in West Hawai'i that we think is ideal for a joint County -State civic center office complex. The site is Village 8 in the Villages of La`i`opua, tax map key 7-4-20:03, and I am writing to request your assistance in obtaining an Executive Order transferring a portion of this parcel to the County of Hawai'i. The entire parcel is 14 acres in size, which is adequate for both County and State facilities, and already has the necessary infrastructure: water, sewer, .electricity and telephone service. We want to begin work immediately upon obtaining an Executive Order. As you know, it is a priority of mine to establish a permanent County facility in West Hawai'i. The 2000 census data shows that the population in just three districts (South Kohala, North Kona and South Kona) increased by 11,200, or 29%, over the last ten years to over 50,000 residents. County agencies now service this population from a variety of rented sites located from Kailua-Kona to Kealakekua. The time has arrived when it is necessary to construct a County building in West Hawai'i, to consolidate operations and better serve the public from a single location. In addition, it would be convenient for the public if both State and County administrative offices and public service agencies were located together at a single civic center location as they are in Hilo, where the State and County buildings are next to each other. The Honorable Benjamin J. Cayetano April 16, 2001 Page 2 We would like to begin work on this project as soon as possible. Your assistance in obtaining an Executive Order for approximately half of this parcel for a County building site would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your ongoing support of the County of Hawai'i. Aloha, Harry Kim G -t-17 MAYOR _ kv\ '�- cc: Dennis Lee, County Director of Public Works 6f 1:0104W7,Z 1L77 LOTS C PUBLIC HDLISING 1 aHL �c b KCFUTURE - KA�xE ftmT HOUSE LOTS I AWL PARK` VILLAGE 1 THE VILLAGES VILLAGE 2 L" Lira VILLAGE 13 OF LA'I'OPUA PROPERTY ` BOUNDAR`� VILLAGE 4 E VILLACaE 34 i. ` (WHL) VILLAGE 7 � VILLAGE 12 VILLAGE 5 + VILJ AGE 6 L MF 14 AW VILLAGE 8 pn"OWAY i AUPAKA ILEA ^LLW owE PRESERM VILLWE 11 OWADYWAI 06 Y Dar. L�l1vaKALINYTRvsr Q�MDWAY 0) ESTATE lllti0 J L.LAGE MAN STREET VILLAGE ' (yy�K COUR O C � LIIiSE BOUNDARY LEGEND TOTAL PROPERTY �- INDNIDUAL VILLAGE/PROJECT PROJECT STATUS 0 9Q0 1800 � Villages of La`i'opua JAN 1998 NORTH SCALE IN FEET