HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOR-16-108158 11116 OCT ?i Pf9 ? P1. •
October 22, 2016 JO`J1\;i Y (JF I-lA\Ainl
PO Box 199 '7
Hakalau, HI 96710
c
Farrah-Marie Gomes,Vice Chair
Hamakua CDP Steering Committee _'
c/o Hawaii County Planning Department
Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street,Suite 3
Hilo, HI 96720 - ——
RE: Hakalau Point
Vice Chair Gomes and Members of the Hamakua CDP Steering Committee:
I am Susan Forbes and I live in Hakalau.Thank you for this opportunity,yet again,to testify in
support of preservation of Hakalau Point. I appreciate the care with which you have listened to
communities along the Hamakua Coast during the eight years of this process. It's my
understanding that this is your 27th Steering Committee meeting.Add that to the other"speak
out" sessions, and you have heard and witnessed a lot.
Hakalau Point is a prime example of what Hamakua residents have said when they gave their
input to the Community Development Plan folks about discouraging development on the
coastal bluff. This land sits between a recreational area (the Bay) and a residential area. It is
the bluff beside Hakalau Bay, precious and environmentally sensitive. Not a place for industry;
not anymore. As well, it is an historical place. I want you to consider this status and this history
as a reference point for planning decisions in the future.
I want to reiterate the historical significance of the site.
Prior to the days of the sugar plantation, Hakalau Point played a major role in Hawaiian history
during the Battle of Hakalau.Subsequently, it was the descendants of Kamehameha I,
Kamehameha the Great,who later sold the property to sugar interests.
Hakalau Point is part of the Hakalau Historic District recorded in the State Inventory of
Historic Places in 1973 (SIHP 50-10-16-7392)
The Hakalau Plantation was established after the enactment of the Reciprocity Treaty,which
allowed Hawaii's sugar to enter the United States duty free.The 9,000 acre (at that time)
plantation was established by Claus Spreckels in 1878,with William Irwin &Company as agents.
Spreckels was the major figures in the sugar industry in Hawaii during the nineteenth century.
By 1890,the plantation's mill, located on the shore at the base of a two hundred foot bluff,
produced five thousand tons of sugar a year.The plantation's maximum production was 26,509
in 1944,following the 1943 merger of the neighboring Wailea Milling Company into Hakalau
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Plantation. Hakalau continued in operation until 1962,when C. Brewer merged the plantation
into Pepeekeo Sugar Company.The mill was dismantled and all that remains along the shore
are the concrete foundations. Most all the plantation's operations buildings also have been
removed, and little remains of Hakalau town,with the poorly maintained former theater
serving as the post office.
So,what remains of historical significance? Hakalau Point was considered significant under
multiple Criteria included in the rules governing procedures for the historic preservation
review, Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR), 13-284:
The Hakalau Plantation warehouses(on parcel#79)are deemed significant under Criteria A
and C.
Criterion A: Associated with events that have made an important contribution
to the broad patterns of our history
Criterion C: Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or
method of construction; represents the work of a master; or
possesses high artistic value
The Japanese/Korean Cemetery(on parcel#81)is deemed significant under Criteria D.
Criterion D: Yields, or is likely to yield, information important for research on
pre-history or history
Of the options available to you today,the Open Designation, or Option 3, is consistent with the
historic significance of this site in terms of Hawaiian history,the sugar industry, and immigrant
history associated with the plantation.The Open Designation is also the option that best fits the
scenic beauty and environmental sensitivity of the site.
Thank you for your consideration of the options for Hakalau Point, and your dedication to the
Hamakua Community Development Plan.
Sincerely,
Susan Forbes, President
Hakalau Point Preservation Association