Six East Hawaii legislators, all Democrats, updated the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce on May 29 about measures passed and progress made during the recently wrapped session of the state Legislature.
It was Banyan Drive, a longstanding Hilo eyesore, that garnered perhaps the most time and attention.
House Bill 818, which would’ve established the Waiakea Peninsula Community Development District, died after passing over to the Senate, which didn’t schedule any hearings about the measure. The bill, introduced by Hilo Rep. Sue Keohokapu-Lee Loy, had co-sponsors, including Hilo Rep. Matthias Kusch and fellow Big Island Reps. David Tarnas and Kirstin Kahaloa.
The legislation, if enacted, would have transferred land and leases within the the Waiakea Peninsula Community Development District from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Hawaii Community Development Authority.
Banyan Drive — where the former Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel was recently demolished and the former Country Club Apartment-Hotel is awaiting demolition — came up during audience questioning.
George Applegate, onetime executive director of the former Big Island Visitors Bureau, asked if Hilo International Airport improvements — which Hilo Sen. Lorraine Inouye said garnered a $26 million capital improvement appropriation — might lead to direct flights between Hilo and the mainland.
And county Research and Development Director Benson Medina said he had recently chatted with Daniel Chun, Hawaii regional vice president of Alaska Airlines — which now owns Hawaiian Airlines — and asked Chun about possible direct flights between Hilo and Seattle, Alaska’s mainland hub.
“He hinted around, but the last thing he said was, ‘We’re waiting to see what happens with Banyan Drive,’” Medina said. “So, what’s our update on Banyan Drive?”
Inouye, the majority whip who also chairs the Water and Land Committee and introduced a companion measure to HB 818, Senate Bill 1078 — which didn’t receive any committee hearings — fielded the question, saying the measures introduced this session had fatal flaws.
“Why the bill died is because … the bill included all of Banyan Drive and the leases that were there,” Inouye said. “By law, you cannot allow any DLNR land leases (to be) given to any other agencies. … According to (Hawaii Revised Statutes) 171-6, any of the properties that are already under lease must go through BLNR.”
Inouye said she asked that HCDA and DLNR speak to the state attorney general prior to those bills being heard.
“So, what are we going to do about creating a real Banyan Drive future organization?” she said. “… We have been meeting with HCDA and (the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism) in moving to the next step.”
Inouye said she secured $1.2 million for demolition of the Country Club, adding “we need that building to come down.”
However, a 2018 cost estimate for the demolition of the decrepit six-story structure was $6.2 million. An updated price tag for razing the derelict building will almost certainly be substantially higher.
Although she didn’t respond to Medina’s question, Keohokapu-Lee Loy said during a Zoom meeting in February regarding HB 818, that after years of witnessing Banyan Drive’s slow decay, people are “done having conversations, and now it’s time for action.”
Mayor Kimo Alameda suggested during February’s virtual meeting that both the Uncle Billy’s parcel and the Country Club land, post-demolition, should be kept as open space. Alameda said any new hotel development should be built on the 62-acre golf course — which is still under the control of the Grand Naniloa Hotel leaseholders.
Inouye noted at last month’s HICC event that there were unsuccessful negotiations with the Naniloa leaseholders in the hopes they would relinquish control of the its nine-hole golf course for a reduction in lease rent. She added the only current vacancy for lease on Banyan Drive is the property where Uncle Billy’s once stood.
As part of her response to Medina’s question, Inouye said Banyan Drive remains “a state project.”
“I just want to remind you, it will not be a county project. Because it is state land,” she said.
A number of other updates were provided by lawmakers at the May 29 HICC event.
— Sen. Tim Richards of Waimea, vice chairman of the Committee of Agriculture and the Environment, noted that SB 1248, the Cranston “Duke” Pia bill, which he introduced, has been transmitted to Gov. Josh Green. The bill, named for a Makaha, Oahu, farmer who was killed by a trespasser on his farm, establishes that, in certain circumstances, an individual rightfully present on agricultural lands may exercise deadly force with a right to stand their ground and not retreat.
“What came out of that was something that I think we can be proud of, and that was promoting the enforcement the laws to protect agriculture,” Richards said. “I’m awaiting the signing date for that from the governor but I expect that to be signed.”
— Rep. Greggor Ilagan of Puna noted that with the help of Reps. Chris Todd and Jeanne Kapela, as well as Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, $2.5 million was secured for studies about alternate routes in Puna, both mauka and makai of Highway 130, the Keaau-Pahoa Road. He also said there will be a blessing soon for the Pohoiki Boat Ramp, which was put out of commission during the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kilauea volcano.
“After five years, we are actually going to a blessing,” Ilagan said. “This project is up to $10 million. We are having a blessing in early June and starting construction and hopefully, will finish dredging the boat ramp and opening the boat ramp for the fishermen and the community.”
— Keohokapu-Lee Loy, a freshman legislator who sat on the House Finance Committee chaired by Todd, said the budget includes $30 million for student loan repayments related to health care.
“So new doctors, health care professionals, nurses … would be able to access $50,000 a year to help pay down their student debt,” Keohokapu-Lee Loy said. “Of course, it comes with a hook. We ask that you stay in Hawaii for two years, serving underserved rural communities. I’m really hopeful that with this incentive … we can also see a lot of improvements in health care. And let’s face it, Hawaii Island is as rural as it gets.”
— Kusch, another freshman, noted that his HB 860 roads-in-limbo bill passed this session. The measure specifies that the state or county may repair or maintain any street of which the ownership or jurisdiction is in dispute between the state and county without conferring ownership of the road. It also limits liability over any said repairs or maintenance.
“It’s a big deal in District 1. That’s how that got through,” Kusch said. “We have people in Paauilo and Kalopa … pretty much all the roads outside of (Highway 19) are roads in limbo there. They were really passionate, and through the support of all the Hawaii legislators, we were able to get that through. I’m assuming the governor will sign it.”
— Todd, the majority caucus leader and Finance Committee chairman, said the Legislature appropriated $25 million toward a $60 million outpatient clinic to be built by Hilo Benioff Medical Center in Keaau. The $25 million appropriation, which was sought by Green, triggered a matching contribution by tech billionaires and Big Island residents Marc and Lynne Benioff.
“This will be something that will serve all of East Hawaii, but particularly Puna, which is in desperate need,” Todd said.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
