HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 317 Draft 01 2004-2006 -p~Mty or yam`
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COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII
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RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE CLOSURE AND
REALIGNMENT OF THE HILO BAYFRONT HIGHWAY AND THE RESTORATION
OF THE HILO BAYFRONT BEACH.
WHEREAS, in its recreation profile for South Hilo, the County of Hawaii General Plan
identifies as courses of action, the implementation of the "Environmental and Urban Design
Proposals, East Hawaii Project, City of Hilo" and the "Downtown Hilo Redevelopment Plan"
for the Kaiko`o and Bayfront areas, including elimination of the Bayfront Highway and widening
and realigning of Kamehameha Avenue, and the expansion of coastal recreation areas; and
WHEREAS, in its transportation profile for South Hilo, the County of Hawaii General
Plan identifies as a course of action, a plan for the eventual closure of the Bayfront Highway and
the relocation of the existing Highway 19-Pauahi Street intersection to an area in the vicinity of
Ponahawai Street, in coordination with the State Department of Transportation; and
WHEREAS, the "Envision Downtown Hilo 2025: ACommunity-Based Vision and
Living Action Plan for Downtown Hilo" adopted by the Council of the County of Hawaii on
November 22, 2005, also identifies the need for a study on the realignment of the Bayfront
Highway to develop walking access from Downtown Hilo to Hilo Baytront, and the need to
restore Hilo Bay to a clean and healthy state; and
WHEREAS, the Bayfront Highway was originally built on the roadbed and bridges of an
old railway line as part of recovery efforts after the 1946 tsunami ravaged Hawaii Island's
northeast coast; and
WHEREAS, the Bayfront Highway was envisioned to extend to the Hilo Wharf to
complete a highway realignment project begun in 1951, with extension plans including afour-
lane divided highway abandoned by the State Department of Transportation in 1978; and
WHEREAS, the decline of the sugar industry in the latter half of the 1980s and its
eventual demise in the 1990s has eliminated the need to divert heavy truck traffic from Hamakua
sugar plantations to the Hilo Wharf along the Bayfront Highway; and
WHEREAS, the Bayfront Highway is frequently closed to vehicular traffic during storm
surges and high wave action; and
WHEREAS, under the existing Bayfront Highway alignment lies an extensive historic
beachfront, which if reclaimed, will restore public access to this valuable natural and cultural
resource and enhance open space and view corridors; and
WHEREAS, restoration of the Hilo Bayfront Beach and expansion of the adjacent
Bayfront Park will enhance ocean recreation activities for residents and visitors alike and provide
economic stimulus for small businesses in Downtown Hilo; and
WHEREAS, the County Department of Research and Development has been awarded a
$100,000 grant from the State Hawaii Tourism Authority, with $50,000 in matching County
funds included in the fiscal year 2006-2007 capital improvement budget, to undertake planning
of the Hilo Bayfront Trails project, a pedestrian and bikeway trail system extending from Hilo
Harbor to Wailuku River; and
WHEREAS, funding of a feasibility study for the closure and realignment of the
Bayfront Highway and restoration of the Hilo Bayfront Beach is timely and will help integrate
planning of roadway realignments and trail alignments along Hilo Bay, consistent with the goals
and policies set forth in the General Plan and the Envision Downtown 2025 Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY
OF HAWAII that the County finance a feasibility study to assess project costs and timelines for
the closure and realignment of the Hilo Bayfront Highway and the restoration of underlying Hilo
Bayfront Beach.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the proposed study concludes that project costs
and timelines are feasible relative to the public benefits to be derived therefrom, the Council of
the County of Hawaii shall ask the Governor of the State of Hawaii and the Hawaii State
Legislature to finance those portions of the Hilo Bayfront Highway realignment and Hilo
Bayfront Beach restoration projects that are within the jurisdiction of the State of Hawaii.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Hawaii transmit
certified copies of this resolution to County Director of Parks and Recreation Patricia Englehard,
County Planning Director Christopher Yuen, County Director of Public Works Bruce McClure,
County Director of Civil Defense Troy Kindred, County Director of Research and Development
Jane Testa, County Director of Finance William Takaba, the Honorable Harry Kim, Mayor,
County of Hawaii, Hawaii District Engineer Stanley Tamura, State Highways, Department of
Transportation, Administrator Sam Lemmo, Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands,
Department of Land and Natural Resources, State Representative Dwight Takamine, District I,
State Representative Jerry Chang, District 2, State Representative Clifton Tsuji, District 3, State
Representative Helene Hale, District 4, State Representative Robert Herkes, District 5, State
Representative Josh Green, District 6, State Senator Lorraine Inouye, District State Senator
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Russell Kokubun, District 2, State Senator Paul Whalen, District 3, and the Honorable Linda
Lingle, Governor, State of Hawaii.
DATED: ,Hawaii, this day of , 2006.
INTRODUCED BY:
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawaii AvES NOES ABS Ex
Hilo, Hawaii ARAKAKI
HIGA
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOf,UT10N was by HOFFMANN
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the
County of Hawaii on HOLSCHUH
IKEDA
ISBELL
ATTEST: .IACOBSON
PILAGO
SAFARIK
Reference:
COUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO.
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