HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunication No. 2024-20 Request for consideration of funding and develo...1
Palma, Maryam
From:Heather Korotie <heatherkorotie@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, June 7, 2024 1:30 PM
To:Kern, Zendo
Cc:Campbell, Jean K; Planning CDP; Mitch.D.Roth@hawaiicounty.gov; Pause, Stephen
(Steve); Inaba, Holeka; Villegas, Rebecca
Subject:Request for consideration of funding and development of the Kealaka`a Street to
Holoholo Street Extension
Attachments:Office Depot Scan 06-06-2024_15-39-22-133.pdf
Follow Up Flag:Follow up
Flag Status:Completed
June 7, 2024
Zendo Kern, Planning Director
Planning Department, County of Hawaii
SUBJECT: Request for consideration of funding and development of the Kealaka`a Street to Holoholo
Street Extension, Kealakehe – Kalaoa, North Kona Pursuant to the Kona Community Development
Plan (CDP), its Official Transportation Network Map (CDP Figure 4-2a) and CDP Objective TRAN-2
Street Network Connectivity.
Dear Mr. Kern:
The Kona CDP Action Committee (AC) requests your review of the status of development of the
“Kealaka`a St – Holoholo St. road connection” identified by map but unnamed in the CDP as
referenced above, and meeting with the AC to advise and discuss the possibility of elevating the
priority of constructing what could be a high value, residential-based transit linkage to schools and
town as a County-led development project.
The AC is very interested in learning about the feasibility of making this a high priority County project,
for the following reasons: First, the AC foresees that this specific road extension and interconnection
of two streets, if feasible per CDP layout, would provide the majority of residents of the central and
upper Kalaoa subdivision areas with a well-positioned, much-needed additional and alternative transit
and bicycle route to and from all three public schools in the Kealakehe School Complex (Elementary,
Intermediate and High School) vs. use of Palani Road, already carrying more school and work
commuter traffic than it should for safety and travel-time reasons.
Second, in addition to greatly improving access to and from all three regional public schools in that
area, AC members can envision this roadway inter-connection, with just two mauka-makai linking
road extensions later added, becoming a principal “backbone” element in a major transit grid “arterial
network” immediately north of the existing Kailua “urban core.”
Specifically, with additions of mauka-makai connections with this Kealaka`a St. Extension made
thereafter by extending (1) the Kealakehe Parkway terminus upward from only a short distance
Communication No. 2024-20
below, and (2) Manawalea St. downward between Ane Keohokalole Hwy. and Qn. Ka`ahumanu Hwy
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Holoholo interconnection would create a 4-across and 4-up/down transit grid of arterials: Mamalahoa
Hwy., Kealaka`a St., Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Qn. Ka`ahumanu Hwy. across slope; and Palani Road,
Manawalea St., Kealakehe Parkway, and Hina Lani St. up/down. See embedded map for reference.
This future grid, with arterials roughly a mile or so apart, would greatly facilitate the development of
CDP-envisioned “SmartGrowth” TODs and TNDs in this sub-region targeted in the Kona CDP, and
would also “bracket” the County-proposed Kealakehe Regional Park and West Hawaii Civic
Center. It seems that the identified Kealaka`a – Holoholo Sts. interconnection is crucial for such an
arterial grid to be functional for the majority of transiting residents residing north and mauka of the
Kailua urban area.
It is our understanding that the County Planning Department contracted PBR Hawaii to study and
report on possible specific alignments for this specific CDP-proposed road as a road network
component, and that PBR Hawaii completed that assignment with a Final Report (see attachment),
dated February 13, 2013, submitted to the Planning Department regarding the possible alignment,
opportunities and constraints, etc.
Accordingly, and for the reasons of interest that we state above, we request your review of the
referenced PBR Hawaii report to the Planning Department, consultation with relevant County
agencies and offices, and discussion with the Kona CDP AC of your findings, assessment and
recommendations regarding the AC’s interest in seeing this project being brought forward in
budgeting and design development in the near future.
We appreciate your time and consideration in reviewing our request. We look forward to hearing your
thoughts on this project.
Ke aloha nō,
Heather Korotie, Kona CDP Action Committee Member
On behalf of the Kona CDP Action Committee
cc: Mayor Mitch Roth, Stephen Pause, Council Member Inaba, Council Member Rebecca Villegas
at the Makala Blvd. mauka terminus (next to the State Judiciary Building), the proposed Kealaka`a –
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Reference Map: A section of the CDP Concurrency Map 4-3 was used as the base map for this
illustration of mentioned road sections. The thick red line is the proposed Kealaka`a Street
Extension, which is the key spine link for this “Multi-TOD Transit Grid.” The 2 Yellow segments are
the only remaining street extensions needed to make a complete grid after the Kealaka`a Extension
would be completed.