Any ideas for economic growth for Puna?

[Kapohocat]

Any of the Puna candidates - if elected - what are ideas you have for improving the economics of Puna at the council level? Any new business ideas or plans? Any possible legislature legislation? Any thoughts on how to stimulate responsible economic development in Puna specifically? Any measures that may help Puna businesses rather than further hinder them?

An item to take into consideration is there were 4000 people filing for unemployment in December on the Big Island. This figure does not account for anyone whose unemployment has run out. It also does not account for anyone trying to find their first high school job.

[Rob Tucker]

The Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) has several items in it which would, or could, spur economic development in Puna. A major problem is that Puna is starved for zoning. Basically Puna is a hugh swath of AG zoning with a smattering of commercial spot zoning in the villages.

Village Centers are intended to guide development of commercial, multi-family housing and light industrial (business parks). One proposal which would help smooth the path for investment is "floating zones". Floating zones would indicate an area in which a number of mixed uses would be encouraged. This would guide investors in selecting locations for their projects and assure them an easier path to approval than randomly selecting any one of numerous AG parcels and applying for rezoning.

Unfortunately the Floating Zone" concept is proposed for elimination by J. Yoshimoto's Bill 194 which contains 83 proposed amendments to the PCDP. I will say though that J. Yoshimoto has recently shown a willingness to discuss the issue so we have hope that rational compromises can be achieved.

[JerryCarr]

The HPP Board of Directors and most of the community at large are in favor of the village center commercial zoning proposed by the PCDP. We even have several 20-acre parcels of land set aside for such purposes. As Rob notes, zoning is the biggest obstacle to this progress. Our politicians have not stepped forward to promote the necessary rezoning.

[james weatherford]

A fundamental guiding principle is that locally owned businesses do more for the local economy than do franchises and chains -- more of the money spent at a locally owned business stays in the local economy.

The Puna Community Development Plan does indeed provide some sound bases for improving the local economy.
A core component of PCDP is to focus commercial activities in Town and Village Centers.
Also, the PCDP:
...includes an action item to initiate a Pahoa business incubator district; and prioritizes development of agriculture and renewable energy, including the training of Puna residents in these areas.

Keeping agricultural-zoned land in that zoning keeps the price of farm land lower, thus helping get investment in that land. Physical and information infrastructure for local production, processing, and distribution also helps develop the local food and energy economy. The goal here is to increase the local market share of food and energy products and services.

I would add the creation of tax incentives for locally-owned business start-ups.
Perhaps a tax holiday for new locally-owned business start-ups.

Examination of potential impacts before approving new retail stores can keep the local economy from being over run and drained by new, over size retail developments.




James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park

[Kapohocat]

So while the PCDP fiddles..... Puna burns.... ?

[Seeb]

Master plans are for long term, 20 years out. its not going to create 1 job in the next 5 years. Changing the Zoning now ( in line with a long term plan ) to allow for small business would help. You have to get past some of the utopian fantasy stuff and get down to survival

[james weatherford]

The very soonest a new Council can bring change to anything is about one year from now.

Some of the PCDP changes will begin to take place within two years. Some others over a longer term. The actual effect of any changes made by Council will not be instantaneous.

As uncomfortable as the reality is, it took a long while to get in the current economic situation and it will not be changed by any government policy in a big way in a short while.

As a candidate for County Council myself, I would emphasize that no individual candidate will have any quick, easy solutions, and none will have all the answers. For any to suggest otherwise would be dishonest.

In my view, while I am confident of my own ability to deal with economic and other problems at hand, the most important thing I would be able to do is to listen to constituents and be responsive to their ideas.

For example, Cathy mentioned the matter of "hinder". I'd like to hear some specifics on what the County is now doing that is hindering local businesses. Because, in any situation, we must identify the problem before we can come up with the best solution.


James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park

[Bob Orts]

Very good question. But first we have to define "economic development". A change in zoning or the use of economic development incentives could easily make a Walmart the recipient, or a WTE incinerator. Are we talking what will generate some jobs or what will generate long term sustainable jobs? How much "local" business will it take to have any real impact?

You can open up 100 new businesses in the community, but if their goods and services can't compete with other out of area businesses, that would be a waste of money for no return.

[mdd7000]

Bob Orts: Good point.

What will keep people, attract people and create jobs at the same time?
By keep and attract I mean for the purpose of job creation in a manner that keeps people from driving elsewhere for those same goods, products and services.

What would a road from somewhere around Pahoa to somewhere near Volcano do for us?

What does the district have to offer that other districts on the island do not or have in limited supply?

Tourism - we do have an active volcano.
Agriculture - almost everything can grow here
Energy - geothermal, wind and solar

What else?

[Loren Baker]

It seems like a lot of the folks commenting out there have a "pie in the sky" attitude. I agree with everyone that we need to start our solution NOW. Our local council person doesn't seem interested in helping us. As a council person, I woul search for the right people to put in the right places, then LISTEN to what they say, and work with the community.

Some of you are saying you want more businesses out here, which I think is a good thing. A local business, such as KTA, would be great. But nobody wants the roads improved to manage all the delivery trucks that would be forced to come out here with increased businesses. Nobody wants anyone else to move out here, people keep telling me they want it left "rural", but with any kind of growth, there will be population growth as well. Be honest, how many of you make the "Costco run" every couple of months over to Kona? Or shop the coupon days at KTA and Safeway, rather than Malama? I doubt this will ever change, a bargain shopper is just that.

In the past, Hawaii has not been a business-friendly state. The Supperferry comes to mind (as an example only). We need to re-zone, re-think, and re-tool, basically change our mind set. I've been reading the ideas from everyone, but a lot of them are ten years out.

Everything I've read and heard from everyone, progressives, isolationsists, ruralists, all have great ideas. As a council person, I would meet with each group every month to discuss the best plans for Puna, whether or not that includes following the PCDP to the letter. I did read some of the E-mails flowing between the planners, and the word "mandate" jumped out at me. The PCDP planners want to "mandate" that we stop driving to Hilo, and drive into the village centers instead, or bike to Hilo. Unenforcible, and unrealistic.

I also keep seeing "local business". We need to be open minded to all business, unless it will adversely impact our environment. A business that offers employment opportunities to our citizens is what we want. When it comes to non-local enterprises, I would like to see a percentage of their profits put back into the local economy for infrastructure. As an example, say Safeway wanted to open in Pahoa, we would grant their re-zoning and permits, but they would sign a binding agreement to provide X% of profits for road work, as their store would put many more delivery trucks on our only roadway.

As a council person, I would be open to any suggestion which offered viable economic growth for our area, without cluttering our highway with shops. I have to agree with keeping the highway zoned non-business.

Loren Baker
baker4puna.com