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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSugg 26-01 redacted f EADLI i F _ FILE Wi! 1PUARY 31., 2026, BY 1.:301 P.T Revised—12-26-2025 Ua` , z �"►• COUNTY OF HAWAI'I Reserved for office use: 'r Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resource Preservation Commission Sugg.#26-01 SUGGESTION FORM ' oF , For Lands and/or Property Entitlements for Acquisition Rec'd 1/28/26 8:25p The Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC) is accepting suggestions for sites or projects to improve upon public access, open space, and natural resources preservation, pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 42, of the Hawai'i County Code. Please use this form to tell the Commission about a property that you would like to see protected. The Commission welcomes re-submission of previously submitted properties. Please use one form per suggestion and limit total application size to less than 10 MB(megabytes)or 20 pages max- imum (including photos, maps, and figures. If adjacent or nearby areas are protected and/or public areas, include regional maps as well). Additional public testimony may be submitted to exceed the 20 page maximum. The Commission's ranking of the suggestion is based on the completeness of this suggestion form and how it meets the PONC scoring criteria and not solely on the expression of public support or opposition. Name of Site or Project: Kaumana Caves State Park Extension Ahupua'a,Council District,and Location Within: Kaumana, South Hilo, District 2, Tax Map Key(TMK) Number(s): 2-2-006-003-0000 Land Area(Acreage): 28.24 Property Owner Information: Name(s): State of Hawaii, DLNR Email: dlnr@hawaii.gov 1151 Punchbowl St, Rm 130, Address: Honolulu, HI., 96813 Phone: (808) 587-0400 Has the property owner been consulted and agree with this nomination? ❑Yes [No ❑Unsure Suggested Purchase Method: ®Conservation Easement ❑Fee Simple ❑Other Nominators Contact Information: Name(s): Kent T. Tsutsui Email: Address: Phone:JE Reason for nomination of property(please check all boxes that apply) ® Public outdoor recreation and education, including access to beaches and mountains ❑ Preservation of historic or culturally important land areas and sites R1 Protection of natural resources, significant habitat or ecosystems, including buffer zones FX1 Preservation of forests, including beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty, and agricultural lands ❑ Protection of watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Sugg.26-01 Page 1 of 3 ADDITIONAL REQUIRED INFORMATION Please provide the information requested below. The information shall be attached to this form and appropriately labeled with the name of the identifying attachment. ➢ Attachment A: Provide a Tax Map Key Plat map and a property map with the property boundaries and/or proposed access outlined or highlighted. Confirm the council district by contacting the County Clerk's Office at: (808)961-8277 or visit https://www.elections.hawaiicounty.gov/resources/maps. ➢ Attachment B: Provide a clear statement detailing how public acquisition would fulfill one or more of the above resource values. Explain the intent, long-term vision, and/or strategy of this proposed acquisition or project. ➢ Attachment C: If available, provide community letters of support or endorsements for this proposed acquisition or project. ➢ Attachment D: Identify and provide contact information of community organizations, land trusts, or individuals will- ing to be part of this property's long-term management/maintenance. ➢ Attachment E: Please answer the following ten points by providing summaries and/or abstracts (rather than full re- ports). Include, if necessary, citations or links to reference the documentation related to the suggested site or project. Do not send original documents or pictures as they will not be returned. 1) How would this proposed acquisition or project benefit the general public? 2) Describe any significant historic, cultural, or natural resources on the property. Please be as specific as possible and include only a summary of documentation (i.e., archaeological reports,flora/fauna surveys, etc.). 3) Describe (and include maps if available) any significant relationship to larger historical, cultural, and/or natural landscape (i.e., corridors, complexes, agricultural field systems, conservation strategies etc.) 4) Describe the level of urgency(i.e.,the property is currently on the open market or for sale and if so, for how long, there are current development plans,the property has an active filed application for re-zoning/subdivi- sion, is an area of high public use, etc.). 5) Describe any special opportunities for acquisition that presently exist(special funding available, etc.). 6) Have partnerships with other government agencies or private or nonprofit entities been identified to leverage resources(funding,grants, managing partnerships)?M Yes ❑ No El Unknown. If yes, please describe. 7) Is/Are the property(s) or property easement(s) available for acquisition? ❑Yes El No ®Unknown. If yes, please describe. 8) Are there any covenants, encumbrances, restrictions (i.e., association or maintenance), or easements on the property? ❑ Yes ❑ No ® Unknown If yes, please describe. 9) Describe any known hazards on the property (i.e., flood zone, lava hazard zone, mudslides, pollution, etc.). Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Sugg.26-01 Page 2 of 3 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS The Suggestion form and attachments may be submitted via email to PONC@hawaiicounty.gov, or you may mail (USPS, Fed Ex, UPS, etc.) it to: County of Hawai'i Property Management-PONC 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 1101 Hilo, Hawai'i 96720—4252 IIII i,m m°iniiim°'m "tiii m°mc m°nuc°i Ill,,i received 430 Ilp,iiism oiri laii'mairy 31, 2026,, as evidenced 11 ly i:he Colt inty of IIi lawaii thine clll clllc, fI6""l I I'ie Coiiniinissioii'i wflHl m°"w"t review m°m Wl)iiniii iii m�ic received afteir fl,'ie dea&liiim.i m We are riot it clpoii'°iciiilll, 111 .fciit°foinins Ill ct iiim°°i fl,'ie inafl,1 For further information,contact Property Management Division at (808)961-8069 or N awaiicountyagov Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Sugg.26-01 Page 3 of 3 1/14/26,9:24 AM gPublic-Hawai'i County, HI-Report:250060030000 ACIh...11 11NA II:.......I,,L.i.. A Parcel Information Parcel Number 250060030000 Location Address Project Name Ponahawai Property Class AGRICULTURAL Property Class refers to Tax Classification ONLY. For Zoning information,please go to ��iniimii� „I�eiauiti�ruc„I,�t 11 IFulknlluc II,� Wi,,,,�1„oavvniva:Wru;ai ,or email pll�uLinuii (�z7ha ,uiva:auir� Neighborhood Code 2562-5 Legal Information Land Area(acres) 28.2400 Land Area(approximate sq ft) 1,230,134 Owner Information Owner Names Mailing Address STATE OF HAWAII Fee Owner S.1.9,1E C:➢IF li IIA`.All II ............................................... Assessment Information U lnu v IIVL� u�7I hssia�,,unr;ivrs Market Assessed Market Assessed Total Total Total Total Land Dedicated Land Building Building Market Assessed Exemption Taxable Year Property Class Value Use Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2025 AGRICULTURAL $1,309,300 $0 $1,309,300 $0 $0 $1,309,300 $1,309,300 $1,309,300 $0 Land Information Property Class Square Footage Acreage Agricultural Use Indicator ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ AGRICULTURAL 1,230,134 28.24 Building Division Permit&Inspections Information :.:rne ImPflips��f/Ihi�,ln;,uu€u��ivihylhiu��eviea�,�r;vld,�uLru�}r ,Irl;m�pr,himvtJAlpf;/° fareruee�tt/Ihir '. ... Sales Information Sale Instrument Instrument Date Land Court Cert Conveyance Document Sale Date Amount Instrument# Type Description Recorded Document Number # Book/Page Tax Type ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 05/20/2009 $0 06-187153 OTHER Grant of Grant of easement easement ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11/18/1997 $0 9700161103 11/19/1997 Map tt�lA Attachments Pg 1 of 10 Sugg.26-01 https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?ApplD=1048&LayerlD=23618&PageTypelD=4&PagelD=9878&Q=1679060811&KeyValue=250060... 1/2 0 Q ��� AynmF�i�.p0o a! A z w a 4 1\ `i�O-co O y�1 _ �v�°aaaptl�,�m• g 3 F M �J J tl °'nwNwb�®gym z " U(h y ti a,iw tl,ytl,ua � i \. � I� "_ � I � W a^:®;,tea",°a3®'•s"+"' I�'� I�H • s; � a N III w ©o� �_,,I as o;,pa�a•,�;.'° �R a9�, a 01 d P6'mm <S �U cc W „v E d �„ n a A •a�� y d all a m W N le 0 o a � bA O �u °c° � L? !fir � •�u .� 7 ,�a) �--� 16, a \ \ nll III /N e da�P7 tl � N � � 02 �/pa U Q 0 iri OZ 9 \. FI x In F tl uO w � Y % x `-F ,Y a _ El — P Vo-i_ --Attachment B-- Provide a clear statement detailing how public acquisition would fulfill one or more of the following resource values. Explain the intent, long-term vision, and/or strategy of this proposed acquisition or project. V Public outdoor recreation and education, including access to beaches and mountains Preservation of historic or culturally important land areas and sites V Protection of natural resources, significant habitat or ecosystems, including buffer zones Preservation of forests, including beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty, and agricultural lands Protection of watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply Provide a clear statement detailing how public acquisition would fulfill one or more of the above resource values. Proposal: An additional land of 28.24 acres that is currently owned by the State of Hawaii, should be acquired as an extension to the existing Kaumana Caves State Park. This land is located across Kaumana Drive, on the opposite side from the park. It is classified as agricultural property. This land acquisition is intended for two purposes. One is to primarily preserve the extension of the Kaumana Caves system and the other is to provide a recreational area for leisure, health and welfare activities. Such activities may be a walking/jogging path, individual garden and orchard plots for use by families, an activity area for community events, and possibly an area that can support emergency services. Still, it should be emphasized that community activity uses of the area should be balanced with preserving as much of the forest as possible along with the Kaumana Cave system infrastructure. Goals: A primary reason for this proposal is that a closed section of Kaumana Cave extends under Kaumana Drive to another entrance/exit that is located within the boundaries of the proposed area. This land acquisition would extend the preservation of this cave network including the surrounding forest with the existing Kaumana Caves State Park. A secondary reason is that in recent years, Kaumana Caves State Park has grown in popularity and additional acreage should be acquired to accommodate the growth of visitors to the park. Currently, at times, groups of visitors fill the park with some standing too close to the roadway. The recent installation of a pedestrian crossing and warning signals have made it safer to cross Kaumana Drive, making it more inviting to visit the park. This results in a situation where an improved infrastructure is needed to provide a more accommodating and safer park for both visitors and the drivers on Kaumana Drive. Pg3of10 Sugg.26-01 A third reason is for a community park in this growing area that area residents can use for leisurely and resourceful activities such as: 1. A walking/jogging path through a quiet forest preserve. 2. Individual garden and orchard plots for food supplement use and relaxation. 3. General purpose area for approved community events. 4. Easy access for a developmental and resource area for use by the nearby Kaumana Elementary School and/or other schools. 5. A County maintenance support facility as a hub for servicing other area parks and resources. 6. A staging area for Federal, State and County emergency services. Explain the intent, long-term vision, and/or strategyo f this proposed acquisition or project Current Situation: Kaumana Caves State Park is owned by the State of Hawaii but is managed and maintained by the County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation Department. The total park size is currently 4.87 acres with about a quarter acre (0.27 acre) for Kaumana Caves State Park on the north side of Kaumana Drive. The parking lot is located on the opposite side of Kaumana Drive of about 0.11 acre and is able to accommodate about a dozen cars. As of November 2025, speed tables, pedestrian crosswalk signals and advanced warning beacons have been installed on Kaumana Drive for the park. Proposed Land Acquisition Area Details: The area is forest land comprising of Ohia trees and Uluhe ferns and other common Hawaiian forest foliage. It covers an old pahoehoe lava field, hiding all of its naturally hazardous features. Included in this area is the opposite end of the Kaumana Cave State Park entrance. It located at a point approximately 500' southwest of the existing Kaumana Caves Parking Lot and about 900' east of Kilua Road. General GPS location is about 19' 41.131'N, 155' 7.919'W. This section of the cave is closed, although there have been the occasional unauthorized spelunkers that have exited from the cave in this area and then had to "cut trail" to get back to their cars. Wildlife in this area comprises of the usual feral pigs and birds including hawks. Surrounding the area are residences on Kaumana Drive, Kilua Road (across from Kaumana Elementary School) and residences on the north end of Mele Mann Street, accessed from Kaumana Drive. Intent of this acquisition: The intent of this acquisition is for the preservation of Kaumana Cave system as well as the forest environment surrounding the cave network. In the longer term, should a cave exploratory survey allow, the inclusion of the South Kaumana Cave section as a continuation of the cave exploring experience enjoyed by visitors of the north section of the Kaumana Cave network. Also envisioned would be walking/jogging paths within the area similar in style to walking paths at the old Kona Airport and at the Lava Tree State Park in Puna. Its desirable to have access to a peaceful and scenic walking path for families to occasionally get away from a busy and stressful life that is common these days. Pg4of 10 Sugg.26-01 As the area is surrounded by private residences, it might be useful for sections of the park to be allocated for a community garden with individual plots for families. A family or individuals would greatly benefit from this supplemental food resource by growing their own vegetables and fruits. With the increasing cost of food, the opportunity to grow your own food would be a benefit for the community. Another opportunity is for the students at the nearby Kaumana Elementary School (or any other school if so planned) to easily access this park for any developmental and types of sustainability and preservation education that the park could provide. The school would be included with all community and County planning. Management and Maintenance: Hawaii County Parks and Recreation Department already manages and provides maintenance for Kaumana Caves State Park and it is anticipated this department would incorporate the proposed land acquisition into its area of responsibility. An appropriately sized County maintenance facility could be built to support other State and County park services as needed. All park facilities would be managed and maintained by County Parks. Park volunteers could assist with visitors and provide help as needed under the supervision of County Parks. A Kaumana Caves Community Development Group could be established to assist with all planning and long term operations of the park. It would consist of community members, park volunteers, County Park and Recreation representatives and any other related or interested parties. Long Term Strategy: Kaumana Caves State Park plus the acquired land becomes a managed conservation and resource park for the community. A walking/jogging path through the forested area would allow a healthy and relaxing activity for families. If a revitalized South Kaumana Cave experience could be achieved, this would add to the small Kaumana Caves State Park attraction. There would also be vegetable and orchard plots (for fruit trees) rented to individual families through application with monthly or annual fees. Garden plot sizes may be about 5x7 feet square and orchard plots in about 3 feet diameter. Assignments would be one (1) garden plot and/or three(3) orchard plots made available for each resident household that applies. Estimate of garden and orchard use acreage: A rough calculation for 200 residences; Given: lea. 5'x7' garden plot per residence; 3 ea. 3' diameter orchard plot per residence; Required clearances for plot access: Garden plot: A 3'path and working area between garden plots. 1.5' added to each plot perimeter for calculations. Orchard plot: A 10'path and working area between orchard plots. 5' added to each plot perimeter for calculations. Pg5of10 Sugg.26-01 Calculations: Garden plot w/clearances = 80 sq ft each Orchard plot w/clearances = 169 sq ft each Total area for 200 garden plots: 200 x 80 sq ft= 16,000 sq ft. Total area for 200 @3 orchard plots per residences: 169 sq ft x 3 = 507 sq ft multiplied by 200 = 101,400 sq ft. Reference: 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft Garden plot acreage = 16,000 /43,560 = 0.4 acre Orchard plot acreage = 101,400 /43,560 = 2.4 acres Total Acreage = 2.8 acres required of the proposed area acquisition of 28.24 acres for the individual families gardening plots. It should be emphasized that all park facilities and services shall be planned, designed and developed with the preservation of the Kaumana Cave system and the surrounding forest as a primary guidance. Supplemental Resources: Garden and orchard plot fees should be establish as a source revenue to supplement the park operations and maintenance costs. The fees should be affordable in order to attract as much community participation as possible. A volunteer garden docents program should be established to assist plot gardeners for guidance and advice. They could also assist the County Parks management as community liaisons interacting with park users and assist in operational and maintenance aspects as needed. Safety and Security: Suggested park hours should be aligned with other County of Hawaii Parks hours of operation, 5 or 6am — 10pm. For dark hour operations and safety, there would be path lighting for walkers and joggers, and lighting at the entrance(s)to the garden and orchard plot areas. The lighting system, should conform to energy conservation and dark sky considerations. Each path lighting installation should be a solar charged battery powered LED light source that is pole mounted. To minimize stray light from encroaching onto nearby residences, the LED light source should be appropriately shielded. The shielding should allow for maximum ground coverage yet cut-off side and up lighting. The emitted light spectrum and lighting pole installation shall conform to current County street and path lighting standards. Security considerations with respect to this proposal is currently for a volunteer community watch program. Participating members shall report to the Hawaii County Police Department of any irregularities or illegal activities observed within the park. Pg 6 of 10 Sugg.26-01 Attachment C: If available, provide community letters of support or endorsements for this proposed acquisition or project. None Available at this time. Pg 7 of 10 Sugg.26-01 Attachment D: Identify and provide contact information of community organizations, land trusts, or individuals willing to be part of this property's long-term management/maintenance. No discussions or contacts have yet been made and the following is only intended to identify long term management/maintenance agency and entities. a) Overall management/maintenance would be with the County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation Department as they are already responsible as such for the existing Kaumana Caves State Park area. b) A Kaumana Caves Park Community Group is proposed to help with park planning, community gardening assistance and any other associated community park activities. c) I, Kent Tsutsui, residing at am willing to volunteer my time and effort for this proposal. Pg8of10 Sugg.26-01 Attachment E: Please answer the following ten points by providing summaries and/or abstracts (rather than full reports). Include,if necessary, citations or links to reference the documentation related to the suggested site or project. Do not send original documents or pictures as they will not be returned. 1) How would this proposed acquisition or project benefit the general public? Mainly the park would be for recreation and welfare through the preservation of the Kaumana Cave system and forest area. However, with community gardens, the park would also allow the general public with food sustainability by growing their own fruits and vegetables. 2) Describe any significant historic, cultural, or natural resources on the property. Please be as specific as possible and include only a summary of documentation (i.e., archaeological reports, flora/fauna surveys, etc.). Kaumana Cave South Extension could be incorporated into a more comprehensive Kaumana Cave experience. At this time, it is unknown if any type of ground survey currently exists for this plot. I suggest that with newer technology, a LIDAR(Light Detection and Ranging)mapping system flyover be made to do an updated survey of the property. 3) Describe (and include maps if available) any significant relationship to larger historical, cultural, and/or natural landscape (i.e., corridors, complexes, agricultural field systems, conservation strategies etc.) An inclusion of the proposed area that contains the closed off portion of the Kaumana Caves network would complement and extend the singular use Kaumana Caves State Park for multipurpose use. As mentioned and suggested in paragraph 2 above, a LIDAR survey be made to update existing maps and any surface details documentation. 4) Describe the level of urgency (i.e., the property is currently on the open market or for sale and if so, for how long, there are current development plans, the property has an active filed application for re-zoning/subdivision, is an area of high public use, etc.). No active application for development is known at this time. 5) Describe any special opportunities for acquisition that presently exist(special funding available, etc.). Current title holder is State of Hawaii which may make it easier for a transfer to the county. 6) Have partnerships with other government agencies or private or nonprofit entities been identified to leverage resources (funding, grants, managing partnerships)?N Yes ❑ No ❑Unknown. I f yes, please describe. Pg9of10 Sugg.26-01 State of Hawaii & County of Hawaii have inter-governmental agreements. There would be a need to identify appropriate agencies and contact persons to discuss this proposal and the transfer process. 7) Is/Are the property(s) or property easement(s) available for acquisition? ❑Yes ❑No X]Unknown. I f yes,please describe. 8) Are there any covenants, encumbrances, restrictions (i.e., association or maintenance), or easements on the property? ❑ Yes ❑ No K Unknown If yes, please describe. 9) Describe any known hazards on the property (i.e., flood zone, lava hazard zone, mudslides, pollution, etc.). The proposed area is undeveloped forested land with heavy brush hiding rock outcrops and crevices so simple walking into this area is hazardous and proper precautions should be taken if entering. Kaumana Caves is in Lava Zone 3, a less hazardous rating for lava flow inundation but still possible. Pg 10 of 10 Sugg.26-01