Puna Makai Alternate route

[punaticbychoice]

We need this (PMAR).
Period.
Now.
Before it hits the fan.

[JerryCarr]

Here are the promised FAQs about PMAR. James Weatherford and I have prepared these to cover the most reliable information we currently have available to us.

What is PMAR?
An alternate route makai of and more or less parallel to Highway 130. This would be a two-lane County road and would likely extend from the southern part of Hilo through Shipman lands, across HPP, and on to Hawaiian Beaches and Nanawale if built to the full extent mentioned in the 2004 Puna Circulation Plan. It would be a way to travel between Puna District and Hilo District without using Highway 130.

Will this be an emergency route only or a full time commuter route?
According to the Hawaii County Planning Department, it will be a full time County road. While emergency evacuation of lower Puna (in response to geothermal blowouts, seismic activity, and/or lava inundation) has been mentioned as a reason for building PMAR, that is not the main purpose being planned for.

What has been done so far?
Overall, it is still very early in the planning process. Funding for initial preliminary studies has been approved. Our contact in the Planning Department has told us that $188,000 has been made available to get the proposed road classified as a "major collector" according to Federal Standards. This is the very first of many steps and will qualify the project for eventual Federal funding, but does not guarantee it.

State Representative Faye Hanohano secured approval of an appropriation of $1.5 million in the last legislative session for planning. An important element of this appropriation is the stipulation that the route studies be done with an emphasis on "disruption of the fewest number of developed lots" in HPP. The Governor has not yet released these funds, but Mayor Billy Kenoi sent a letter to the Governor in mid-January formally requesting release.

An additional $500,000 for planning has been formally requested by the Planning Department to be included in the next County Capital Improvements Budget.

What do we know about the "nuts and bolts" of the proposed route across HPP?

This is in the very early stages, but there are some things the Planning Department has shared with us. First, due to the "fewest number of developed lots" stipulation in the State appropriation, the road would have to be built across the least heavily built out portion of HPP. Knowing this, the HPPA PMAR committee did some informal research and found this likely to be somewhere between 5th and 15th roads. This was confirmed when we met with a Planning official. Second, we were told in the same meeting that the road might go between two of our existing roads or across the backs of the lots. This would avoid having dozens of driveways entering the new road and put the road farther from homes, which tend to be built close to the fronts of the lots in HPP.

What about Railroad Avenue?

This has often been referred to as the "red herring" of the PMAR options. It has not been a legal right of way for decades, is subject to flooding in places, traverses HPP on multiple odd angles (thus creating twice the number of intersections as any other route,) crosses prime agricultural lands outside HPP, has thickly built up sections inside HPP, and has been designated as a recreational hike and bike corridor on the Puna CDP.

What are we certain of at this point?

Very little, other than some political momentum is behind the PMAR idea. The Mayor, the County Planning Department, and the new District 5 Council representative Fred Blas have all expressed support for PMAR. Beyond that, there is a long and potentially complicated series of steps that have to be completed before the first shovel of dirt can be turned. Funding is by no means automatic or particularly easy to come by in the current fiscal environment. It may be that something rather different from what has been described is eventually built, or even that nothing at all is built. The ultimate certainty for the HPPOA-PMAR Committee, however, is that we in HPP are better off closely observing and participating in every step of the PMAR process than we would be to ignore it.

What can residents of HPP do to influence the outcome?

Participate by joining discussion at meetings, doing surveys, sending comments/suggestions to the PMAR Committee, and testifying at hearings likely to take place in the future. The PMAR Committee has already started discussions with the County and is pledged to represent the expressed opinions of the community. The County Planning Department is very positive about formation of the HPPOA PMAR Committee.

[Rob Tucker]

A very informative set of questions and answers.

I would suggest that PMAR is of interest to everyone in Puna, not just HPP, and any Puna resident should feel entitled to join the conversation, at least on the county level.

The topic of how PMAR might transit HPP is of direct concern to HPP residents.

[mdd7000]

It is interesting to hear of roads near 5th being a possibility - that might be a better long-term traffic advantage as the lower (towards the ocean) the new road would be, the more traffic would go towards the ocean to traverse Puna first, instead of always heading up and then over. It might be a better alternative than something further up, such as Railroad in that regard.

As Rob stated - we have but one chance to get this right.

[macuu222]

I'm on 5th. I'm not a happy camper! The backlot of 5th/6th streets being the new highway seems to have some real credibility. HPPOA owns 20 acres of land between 5 and 6th and between Makuu and Paradise. A long stretch of road with no homes and virtually no objection from owners. All I can say is..if they run a highway in my backyard..they better have a fantastic compensation policy because I and my neighbors on 6th will fight it.

[Seeb]

Here is an idea to satisfy the pulling out driveways worry,
if I remember right the right of ways are like 50ft except 19th which is wider , you could put the 2 lane down the middle then a 1 lane local road on each side separated by a guardrail. Also could separate each direction of the pmar to different cross streets if the r.o.w. is to tight

[Rob Tucker]

I have studied the subject and unless PMAR transits the rear of the properties there is no way to not involve up to 250 +/- driveways. Transiting the rear of the lots results in three cross traffic situations at Kololi, Paradise and Maku`u.

If safety matters the rear lot route is the most practical for everyone involved. It can also be achieved without disrupting access to the hundreds of lots during construction.

[Tolleys]

If the county needs to take a road in our development (HPP), shouldn't they take control of all the roads?

Susan

[Rob Tucker]

Maybe they should but there are 130+ miles of substandard roads and it will cost many, many millions, cause massive disruption for years and likely require some eminent domain of each of 8,800 lots to bring them up to county standards. Not very likely.

More likely might be the main avenues.

But the PMAR planning, if they use a rear lot route, will take none of your roads.

[DanielP]

This idea ought to sound a bit wild, but, How about using one full strip of lots to create an expressway plus bike lanes , green zones and buffer from adjacent lots? Say, for instance, all lots on Makai side of 7th? How deep are those lots. Hoped I missed everyone.