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Home My WebLink About2025-06-26 PCDP Minutes Draft PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1 ACTION COMMITTEE 2 3 COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI 4 DRAFT MINUTES 5 JUNE 26, 2025 6 7 8 CALL TO ORDER 9 Committee Member Susie Osborne called the Puna Community Development Plan (CDP) Action 10 Committee (AC) to order at 5:05 p.m. This meeting was held in person at the Keaʻau Community 11 Center and online via the Zoom platform. 12 The full YouTube video of this meeting can be found here: 13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kry9Q9Fgz-I 14 ROLL CALL 15 Members Present (in person): Susie Osborne, Martha Morishige 16 Members Present (via Zoom): Leila Kealoha, Franny Brewer, and Jennifer Scheffel 17 Members Absent: Chair Leilani DeMello, Vice-Chair Gregory Henkel and Kanoe Wilson 18 County Staff Present: Maryam Palma and Kawelo Kalili 19 There were approximately 30 members of the public in attendance, 15 in person and 15 via Zoom. 20 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 21 Committee Member Morishige moved to approve the minutes from the February 27, 2025, meeting 22 as drafted. Committee Member Kealoha seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 23 [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 3:12] 24 PUBLIC TESTIMONY 25 Diga Kern provided testimony in support of the Kumukahi Letter of Support to Public Access, 26 Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC). [SEE YOUTUBE 27 TIMESTAMP: 5:00] 28 Diane Ware provided testimony requesting that the committee add to its next agenda a discussion 29 on adopting a biosphere reserve buffer zone ordinance for Volcano Village’s long-range forest 30 protection plan. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 9:16] 31 Mary Marvin Porter provided testimony requesting the committee’s help addressing a builder 32 putting four rental units on one parcel in Hawaii Paradise Park by misusing farm dwelling permits. 33 [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 13:38] 34 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of June 26, 2025 2 BUSINESS: 35 1. Letter of Support to PONC – Deliberation on Public Access, Open Space, and Natural 36 Resources Preservation Commission’s suggestion 25-07: acquisition and consolidation of 37 Kumukahi, Puna, HI. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 15:07] 38 Committee Member Osborne explained that in 1999, burials were desecrated at Kumukahi on 39 University of Hawaii (UH) land. The area covers 2,000 acres with 14 landowners and many 40 ancient cemeteries and cultural sites. A burial treatment plan was signed in 2023, but it can’t be 41 implemented until the access road reopens, which raises concerns about site vulnerability. 42 To protect the area, a PONC application was submitted with 100% of landowners agreeing to sell 43 their properties, allowing for a consolidated management and burial plan. Site visits and 44 extensive community engagement have taken place with support from nonprofits, cultural 45 institutions, and the Burial Council. 46 Site visits have been conducted with the PONC Commission, UH attorneys, State of Hawaii 47 Historic Preservation Division (SHPD), lineal descendants, and landowners. Two nonprofits 48 representing the lineal descendants have led extensive community engagement, with support 49 from 11 other nonprofits, four cultural and educational institutions, a local grassroots group, and 50 government entities. 51 Committee Member Osborne called for a vote to approve and submit the letter of support on 52 behalf of the Puna Action Committee. Committee Member Brewer moved to approve the letter. 53 Committee Member Morishige seconded the motion. Committee Member Kealoha offered 54 Pōhaku Pelemaka as a non-profit organization that would be in support of this work. The motion 55 passed unanimously. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 20:13] 56 2. Puna Connectivity Update – Update and deliberation regarding highway connectivity in 57 upper Puna. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 23:15] 58 Jordan Epperson provided testimony in support of more connectivity in upper and lower Puna. 59 [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 23:58] 60 Kevin Kushel provided testimony in support of better connectivity in Puna. [SEE YOUTUBE 61 TIMESTAMP: 25:15] 62 Steve Sparks provided testimony in support of better connectivity in Puna. [SEE YOUTUBE 63 TIMESTAMP: 27:39] 64 Hannah Hendricks provided testimony regarding road connectivity in Fern Forest. [SEE 65 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 29:00] 66 Randy Horn provided testimony supporting alternate routes for upper Puna. [SEE YOUTUBE 67 TIMESTAMP: 32:05] 68 Stephanie Bath provided testimony regarding civil defense involvement and community 69 engagement in connectivity in Puna. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 33:10] 70 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of June 26, 2025 3 Geniva Jackson provided testimony regarding strong support for connectivity, stressing that 71 “roads in limbo” and gated access have left subdivisions without reliable emergency routes and 72 urging the committee to move this issue forward. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 36:45] 73 Patti Pinto, a longtime advocate for Puna connectivity, noted that despite over 15 years of 74 community work and completed planning, the county has not implemented projects due to 75 turnover and lack of follow-through. She emphasized that Puna, with a population larger than 76 Hilo, lacks equitable public safety because most subdivisions have only one road in and out, 77 making evacuations during disasters extremely dangerous. She pointed out that even small, low-78 cost connections such as linking Fern Acres to Kapua Farm Lots would provide critical alternate 79 routes. 80 Pinto added that previous county capital improvement budgets included funding for these 81 connections, and there are signs of potential support for at least one project. She urged stronger 82 community advocacy to push for action, citing Waikoloa’s success as an example. She also 83 highlighted new state legislation, effective in 2026, which will allow community associations to 84 assume ownership of subdivision roads when corporations have dissolved, removing a major 85 barrier to funding and maintenance. 86 The AC submitted a letter to the mayor and followed up but has not received a response. She also 87 noted that she and others have coordinated with county staff, including Councilmember Matt 88 Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder and Department of Public Works (DPW) Acting Director Neil Azevedo, to 89 move forward on implementing at least one connectivity project this year, emphasizing that 90 county willingness is higher when proposed roads connect to existing county roads. 91 Committee Member Osborne thanked Patti and proposed making her updates a continuous 92 agenda item to ensure ongoing progress on connectivity efforts with county staff. 93 PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON MATTERS NOT ON AGENDA: 94 Judy Hall, a 37-year resident of Hawaiian Paradise Park, expressed concern about 95 overdevelopment in her community, citing 10 double duplexes built illegally by a single 96 developer using multiple LLCs. Despite filing complaints and meetings with the planning 97 director and mayor, the structures remain noncompliant, and enforcement is limited due to 98 insufficient staffing in the Planning Department. Hall emphasized that the community is 99 agriculturally zoned and opposes urban-style development, and she came seeking guidance on 100 how to more effectively prevent illegal development in the future. [SEE YOUTUBE 101 TIMESTAMP: 49:58] 102 Committee Member Osborne and Committee Member Morishige agreed to draft a letter to 103 Planning Director regarding this community concern of overdevelopment in HPP. 104 PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: 105 1. Overdevelopment in Hawaiian Paradise Park 106 2. Puna Connectivity 107 3. Orchidland Park Update 108 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of June 26, 2025 4 ADJOURNMENT 109 The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP: 1:01:25] 110 These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Puna 111 Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 112 Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by 113 calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 114