KILAUEA RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN

[leilanidude]

They should start with mandatory buyouts of all lots in the new lava areas in Leilani. Offer (example) $15,000 per lot. For those that actually had a house on the lot, go ahead and offer additional to compensate. If the owner refuses to sell the lot, create a new Lava Inundation Zone property tax that taxes all empty lots at $500.00 per year. The County could then sell the area to the national park system and wash their hands of the whole thing, once and for all.

There are about 1,000 inundated lots in Leilani. That would account for $15 million of the $80+ million they have for buyouts. Add in another $5 million for those that had actual homes on the lots (not really that many).

The areas outside of Leilani would need to be handled differently as much of that was farmed and surprisingly, there is quite a bit of activity going on right now to reclaim farmlands.


* I do not own any lava inundated property...

[Obie]

Many of the farmers will move back. Some farmers have bought additional land. Orchid farms just need the weather that exist in that area and water.

DWS wants to spend the millions they got on water projects on the Kona side rather than rebuild the waterline to Kapoho. A lawsuit may settle it.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

rather than rebuild the waterline to Kapoho.

I believe all of the larger orchid farms in Kapoho depended on the county water line for their nurseries.  No water line, no orchid farms.  Not many new nurseries have started since the lava flow, so if the growers had road access and water, at least some of them would return and rebuild.  As you mentioned Obie, it’s also the weather.  Kapoho has ideal weather for orchid production.  Lots of sun.

[Obie]

DWS got $30 million to repair the water line but they say they would rather not repair it and can spend the money elsewhere.

Our water association in Vacationland, KKWA, has a signed contract that they would repair the line from 137 to our subdivision and supply water to us in perpetuity for us deeding that line over to them.
Some of the farms in Vacationland Farmlots were fed from that line that we paid to construct.

DWS made thousands of dollars over the years by selling meters and water service.