HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0472.000 1988-1992co=. No. 5�7d.
nle No.
Net. To: -
Ref. para MAY 'S i989
Mauna Loa Diving Service
97 Hai li St
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
935-3299
May 2, 1989
Hawaii County Council
County Building
101 Aupuni St
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
0UMCURK
COUNTY OF HAWAII
naw 5/4/1111
Re: Reversing direction of 1 -way streets in Downtown Hilo
Councilmembers,
I am writing to urge you not to act too hastily in
deciding to go ahead and change the one way directions of
Kinoole St. and Keawe St.. The Downtown Improvement
Association has not answered some key questions that would
convince merchants and further their cause. Some examples of
questions are:
1. Does more traffic currently travel down Kilauea Ave or
down Kinoole St.? Will prospective downtown shoppers be
equally confused when having to decide which way to turn when
they get to the one way Puna bound intersection on Kinoole
St. in order to get downtown?
2. Does the Downtown Improvement Association and the
Hawaii Visitors Bureau want tourists and locals to get an
eyefull of the eyesore at the Keawe St. and Mamo St.
intersection? Is this the first impression we want people to
have of downtown Hilo?
3. If the streets are reversed, will the Fire Department
and other emergency vehicles use Keawe St. to get to the
Wainaku area or to get to Waianuenue Ave to go up to
Kaumana? Keawe St. has more foot traffic and street crossings
by pedestrians than does Kinoole St.. Do we really want
emergency vehicles racing down Keawe Gt.? Will the response
time for the Fire Department be slowed because of these
changes?
4. Why are the results of "two mini -surveys" cond by '
the Hilo Main Street Program unavailable for examinationf-T
have requested copies but to no avail.
5. How come the Downtown Improvement Association hasn't .
surveyed the merchants downtown about their support for the �
project and/or their concerns? The association should do this--�--
if only to ascertain how much they will have to sell the
project and to find out what the merchants' concerns are.
For my business the change of directions would greatly
diminish visibility to potential customers traveling on Keawe
St.. No one seems to be able to answer the question as to if-
the
fthe Kilauea St. extension ( between Mamo St. and Haili St.)
will be reversed as well. For my location it would be good to
reverse that section if Keawe St. and Kinoole St. were
reversed. I don't know how other affected merchants feel
about it, but it seems that the Downtown Association should
act as a mediator between the businesses and the county
government about these sort of specifics.
If this change is really requested by consumers and will
benefit the whole downtown area why aren't the merchants
being involved in customer surveys and other fact finding
pursuits? The attitude of the Downtown Improvement
Association is to tell merchants that they know better what
is good for merchant and the downtown area. I have questioned
several merchants and there seems to be confusion about the
change. The most common misconception is that the traffic
pattern is going back to two way strrets. The bottom line is
that the Downtown Improvement Association may not truly
represent the downtown merchants and that the Association is
acting to further their cause without adequate imput from
those businesses affected.
Sincerely,
Alys Wall
Mauna Loa Diving Service
q9W
o i
RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN " kq
cnaiman & P—ding orra.
COUNTY COUNCIL
County of Hawaii
Hawaii Co:mty Ruitding
25 Aul uui Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
May 10, 1989
Mr. Alys Wall
Mauna Loa Diving Service
97 Haili Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Dear Mr.. Wall:
I have received your letter dated May 2, 1989 regarding the
proposed changes in one-way traffic patterns for downtown
Hilo. Your letter has been referred to the Public Works
Committee for review. The Public Works Committee will next
convene on May 23, 1989 and on June 13, 1989. Meetings begin
at 9:00 a.m. in the Councilroom. Please contact the County
Clerk, Mr. John Wagner, at 961-6271 to determine at which
specific meeting this issue will be heard.
CSfuce rely,
/Ruuusssell�n, C airman
Hawaii County Council