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I think the building department gave Sal a bad time because
Liquor Commission must also be involved in Luquins 2 and Coco Cantina Hilo then?
Owner of Coco Cantina thought he would open his Hilo location by December. I told him "no, it takes two years". He thought I was joking.
Bigger issue I've never understood: County keeps whining about "tax revenue" while they drag business owners through an indefinite permitting process. Wouldn't a thriving business be better for the overall economy? Same with home construction, they're not fully taxable until finaled.
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The County of Hawaii is the single biggest drag on the local economy. They act like the county government is the economy and we are all here to support it.
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To which I might add: apparently Hawaii is special enough that people don't mind an expensive, ineffective government.
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It took me a few years to accept that "an expensive, ineffective government" is a major factor in keeping this island from turning into the next Issaquah, Alameda, Austin, Crested Butte, or any number of special areas that have been overrun in the last 20 years. Places that were special and had character until the DR Hortons of the world got ahold of them. Yes, it's a bitch but it may just be the cost of living in our sparsely populated paradise.
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Again: make a public statement so we can all understand the policy, unless the unwritten rule is to drain developers dry while they wait for their permits.
That said, "anti-growth" should apply to actual growth, not the repurposing of existing square footage. Preventing an existing building from being used is an insult to both businesses and the public. Especially when taxes must be raised to cover the economic shortfall.
It's one thing not to have another restaurant. It's quite another to lose a doctor's office. A little balance would go a long way.
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On a positive note, Popeye's is coming along.
Only a couple of years delay on that one.
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Only until Popeye's tries to install a urinal...
