A $62 million plan to expand the entrance to Hilo Harbor still needs some time in the oven.

The state Department of Transportation last year received $15 million to acquire several privately owned parcels on Kalanianaole Street for the project.

The five parcels under consideration are directly adjacent to the harbor property and would allow DOT to develop additional traffic lanes between Kuhio and Kahana streets and more off-street space for semitrucks. The buildings on those parcels would be demolished.

According to a draft environmental assessment published in June 2023, expanding the entrance to the harbor is necessary to alleviate the heavy traffic in the area, where cargo vehicles, cruise ship passengers and nearby school traffic all frequently coincide.

The draft EA states the project would allow the harbor to separate cargo traffic and cruise ship passengers and improve emergency escape routes out of Keaukaha.

The final draft EA was scheduled for release by the end of 2023. More than halfway through 2024, that final draft has not been published, although DOT has stated it’s coming soon.

DOT spokeswoman Shelly Kunishige said the final draft should be published this fall, adding that the delay was because the consultants writing the report are taking into account the large amount of public testimony submitted during the draft assessment’s public comment period.

While that public testimony is still not publicly available, the project was unpopular among Keaukaha property owners during public outreach efforts last year. The five parcels being considered for state acquisition total 9.38 acres, and are home to several businesses that would be displaced if the project goes through as written.

During a public hearing about the draft assessment last year, Greg Gadd — who owns or controls four of the five parcels — said the state has undervalued the land. The assessment estimated that the five parcels together are worth $15 million to $17 million.

The draft EA states that DOT can acquire the parcels via condemnation, wherein the state can seize private property for a project, with due compensation to the owners.

Nani Vermillion, agent for Gadd’s Big Island Homes and Land, said via email earlier this month there has been no further communication from the state about the project since last year.

The five parcels include a trio of lots just over 1 acre each on the downtown Hilo side of the harbor entrance, and a 5.55-acre and a 0.74-acre parcel on the Keaukaha side.

Establishments on those parcels include Maikai Auto Body &Paint, Hilo Auto Sales &Rentals, Hilo Food Hub, Ocean Front Kitchen, Service Rentals and Supplies Inc., and Zion’s House of Praise Holiness Church.

The assessment acknowledges the businesses within the parcels will have to relocate or cease to exist, but adds that they will have more than two years to do so before any demolition takes place.

The document estimated that once the final assessment is published, acquisition of the parcels would be completed within two years, with design and construction to begin subsequently and take two to three years.

Based on that time frame, the assessment estimated the project would be completed by 2029. But because that estimate was predicated on the assumption that the final assessment would be published by the end of 2023, the actual completion date is presumably 2030 or beyond.

The full project cost, including the cost of acquiring the parcels, is estimated to be around $62 million.

Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – In the year since the Lahaina wildfire disaster, the head of Hawaii County’s Civil Defense Agency says he’s implemented additional training for emergency management staff with a focus on messaging and the use of the public alert warning system.

Additionally, the Hawaii County Fire Department now ups its staffing during red flag warnings. And the county’s emergency operations center is also activated earlier.

Fire mitigation projects are underway, too. “The Department of Transportation has put in about 30 miles worth of fuel breaks around some high fire danger areas,” including in Kohala Ranch Estates, Kailapa, Waimea and Waikoloa, said Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno.

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The community is also stepping up to make a difference.

Seventy-three volunteers with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, spent 4,000 hours bolstering this fuel break on the mauka side of Waikoloa Village.

And something unique: A portion of Waikoloa Village’s homeowners association fees are solely used for fire protection.

The county says it’s hardened the Hulu Street escape route, a second road out of the community, that’s utilized in emergencies.

The Roth Administration is also working with private land owners to create a third emergency road that would allow egress from Waikoloa Village to Queen Kaahumanu Highway.

HNN Investigates

Right now, the neighborhood is in the process of expanding to the north. With blustery winds and dry conditions a part of everyday life there, the head of the community’s Fire Wise Committee told us she’s against the new development saying it’s not safe.

“That’s a fire trap on the north side until another road is built,” said Firewise Committee Chair Shelly Aina. “Anyone who lives on that side is going to have to fight all the traffic to get out.”

HNN Investigates took that concern to Mayor Mitch Roth, asking if he thought it was a good idea to build more homes in the back of Waikoloa Village. “It’s kind of like a catch-22,” he said. If you don’t build those things (houses), the owners of the land won’t build it (the road).”

Roth says developers have agreed to put in the road and that ground was broken on the project in May. As for when it’s expected to be completed, Roth said, “We’re hoping the emergency access road happens within the next year. That’s their timeline that they’ve given us.”

One thing everyone agrees on: When it comes to disaster preparedness, government can’t do it alone. “Folks need to plan for themselves as well,” Magno told HNN Investigates.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to shelter in place? Can you shelter in place? Do you have defensible space that your house will be protected or do you need to leave.”

For a comprehensive list of actions you can take to ready your home for a wildfire, click here.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The stage at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center is set for the 2024 Queen Liliuokalani Keiki Hula Competition and Festival running this Thursday through Saturday.

More than 500 of the state’s most talented hula dancers, ranging from ages 6 to 12, are on Oahu to showcase their skills and celebrate culture.

”Individual hula dancers compete for the titles of Miss Keiki Hula and Master Keiki Hula on the first night of the competition. The kahiko (traditional) group competition will take place on the second night, followed by the ʻauana (contemporary) group competition on the third day,” said Executive Director Guy Murashige Sibilla.

Here’s a breakdown of the events:

• Miss & Master Solo Hula Competition: Thursday, July 25 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Hula Kahiko (Traditional Hula): Friday, July 26 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Hula Auana (Contemporary Hula): Saturday, July 27 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Beyond the world class hula, the festival offers other important opportunities for families to soak in the magic of the event and support local artists and other small businesses.

If you attend the competition, be sure to visit the Exhibition Hall which is home to the Keiki Hula Festival.

Pop-Up Makeke will showcase local artisans and crafts. Another special treat for festival goers is the chance to see some very special Hawaiian artifacts.

The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement recently teamed up with the Hawaii State Archives to restore and preserve two banners that were marched in King Kalakaua’s 50th Birthday Jubilee in 1886. Those will be on display throughout the entire event.

There will also be a ho’ike stage for hula and Hawaiian music, as well as a Paikini Plaza featuring many of Hawaii’s well-known clothing designers.

For more information about the Keiki Hula Competition and Festival, click here.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.