HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunication No. 2022-06.1 -Letter to Director Infrastructure Priorities Communication Number 2022-06.1
JNtV OF M,�
Mitchell D.Roth ?.'� +, Zendo Kem
Mayor ��'I''? Director
♦t ;♦
Lee E.Lord
Managing Director Jeffrey W.Darrow
Deputy Director
West Hawaii Office
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole HwyG East Hawaii Office
Kailua-Kona,Hawaii 96740 County Hawaii 101 Pauahi Street,Suite 3
Phone(808)323-4770 HiloPLANNING DEPARTMENT Phone 08 961-8288
6720
Fax(808)327-3563 ( ) 8288
Fax(808)961-8742
DATE: March 14, 2022
TO: ZENDO KERN
Planning Director, Planning Department
FROM: SOUTH KOHALA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: South Kohala CDP Infrastructure Priorities
Dear Director Kern:
At the South Kohala Community Development Plan's Action Committee meeting today, we
voted to request your advocacy to the Mayor on our behalf to prioritize funding for infrastructure
projects in our district. This is intended to guide allocation of the substantial federal dollars that
were allotted in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that passed with bipartisan support in the last
Congressional session, and was signed into law by President Biden.
Hawaii State is receiving $2.8 billion. This unprecedented influx of funds is for long-delayed
infrastructure repairs of roads and bridges,plus new traffic infrastructure needed in areas of
population growth. In the County of Hawaii,the distribution of the funds will ultimately come
down to Mayor Roth's decision on which community projects get funded. We ask you to
advocate on behalf of the priorities that are documented in the South Kohala Community
Development Plan,and have been identified through extensive community meetings since,
regarding infrastructure and emergency preparedness needs. The list below does not eoveF*1,:,,,.S
that have eome" in the intefim 14 yeafs sinee that plan was developed, stleh as the fntleh
Specifically, from the 2008 SKCDP, our community requests include:
1) To mitigate the risk of natural disasters,the Puak6 community requested the construction
of the Paniau Evacuation Route and considered it a"top priority." (P.138)
2) To provide transportation and circulation, "Plan, Fund, and Construct a Second Access
Road to Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway" as a"top priority"both to accommodate
increasing traffic volumes...and more importantly, to provide a second emergency egress
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Communication Number 2022-06.1
Zendo Kern, Director
Planning Department
March 14, 2022
Page 2
route for Waikoloa residents,noting that"the most significant type of natural disaster that
threatens the Waikoloa community is the threat of wildfires." (P.102)
3) To provide transportation and circulation, a) implement short-term traffic mitigation
improvements in and around Waimea Town Center,b) design and construct the Parker
Ranch Connector Road, c) design and construct the Lalamilo Connector Road, and d)
resolve the best alignment for the proposed Waimea/Kawaihae Road Bypass Highway.
(Pages 75-76.)
4)To widen and realign the Waiaka Bridge. The South Kohala CDP specifically asked that
these urgent safety improvements would create a new bridge suitable for vehicular traffic
while preserving the old bridge for multi-modal use.
5) To fund improvements to the Waikoloa Road/Paniolo Avenue Intersection. This has been
a longtime community concern and is referenced in the 2005 General Plan (13.2.5.6.2.jl
"Provide traffic signals at the Waikoloa Road-Paniolo Drive intersection."
4)6) To fund safely improvements to four bridgesg the Kawaihae Rd/Akoni Pule
Hwy. that are located between the entrance to the Pu`ukohola Heiau and Kawaihae
Hawaiian Homes (located over Pohaukole Makeahua, Makahuna and Honokoa GulchI
These bridges are frequented by both bicyclists and heavy vehicles and have been
identified by several communily groMs as needing improvements so that bicyclists can
ride off the road and avoid sharing a lane with vehicular traffic. (P.49)
We appreciate you delivering our message to the Mayor on our behalf.
Sincerely yours,
Ruth A. Smith, Chair, SKCDP-AC
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