HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-17.1 AC to PD response Pahoa Plan ConsultantCommunication No. 201 5 -1 7.1
April 14, 2015
Dear Mr. Kanuha and the Planning Staff,
Thank you for your response to our March 10, 2015 letter as
regards the Consultant for the Pahoa Regional Town Center
Plan and the Wastewater Treatment Study.
We can appreciate your concern about the dune 27" lava flow.
However, life has returned to normal in Pahoa town, with all
the businesses returning and new construction resuming. The
lava flow has been reduced to "watch" status and FEMA is
closing the lava flow incident. Residents are quickly returning,
the housing market is coming back and the Malama Market
now has 20 more employees for a total of 90 employees. Life
in Pahoa and the surrounding areas is going on at a busier
pace than before. Living on the slopes of volcanoes is a way of
life for almost the entire island. In addition to the possibility
of a lava flow from Pu'u O'o, Hawaii County residents are
threatened by possible lava and eruptions from Mauna Loa and
Hualalai. There is little reason to delay planning improvements
in Pahoa Village.
The issues that faced Pahoa before the lava are still here and
are becoming more urgent. The wastewater problem needs to
be addressed sooner rather than later. Large capacity
cesspools (those serving more than 20 individuals) were
banned effective April 5, 2005 by the federal Safe Drinking
Water Act. At that time there were 2,300 large- capacity
cesspools in Hawaii. Movement to address this issue needs to
occur in Historic Pahoa. There are potentially less costly
solutions than a single wastewater treatment plant, but we
need to start work on finding those solutions as soon as
possible.
The other pressing issue is traffic flow. New development is
happening and the hazardous traffic situation is going to
become worse. In short, a Pahoa plan needs to be done soon.
Pedestrian safety, bus stops, landscaping, access to the park,
Communication No. 201 5 -1 7.1
parking and more are all pressing issues that would be
addressed in a comprehensive plan. Too long has
development happened without infrastructure and guidelines.
Funding was allocated for a consultant, a contract was drawn
up and it was just about to be signed when the lava stopped
everything. Volunteers have given years of work and Larry
Brown from Planning poured a tremendous amount of energy
into the process. The design guidelines are a wonderful legacy
from Charlie Maas and they should be part of a comprehensive
plan with appropriate infrastructure improvements. Pahoa's
need for intelligent planning is urgent. Investing in a plan now
will bring much needed guidance to a growing Pahoa and a
solution to address a waste water situation that is already past
the emergency state.
Thank you,
Patti Pinto
Chair of the PCDP Action Committee