11-19-2014, 02:43 AM
Commenting on an earlier post:
KimoWires: ' Back in the early days the county wanted to use 40th as a route to install power lines. '
This is inaccurate on several counts:
The'early days' : At the time, Orchidland had been existence for over 30 years ( early middle age ? ), and had a congenial community association established, one that had held fundraisers, printed T-shirts and cookbooks, and had hibachi get-togethers when ever gravel or cinder was laid.
It wasn't the County, but HELCO that wanted to run transmission lines from the 'waiting to be built' geothermal plant to Hilo across 40th.
When residents asked HELCO if power would become available to homeowners along the proposed route, the answer was 'not necessarily', because what HELCO was planning on was installing large capacity transmission lines ( the ones now along HWY 130 ), not the type that was needed for household use. The HELCO reps said they could bring up and discuss residential power distribution, but it was a separate issue from the transmission lines. They would make no guarantees about how they would leave the roads after all their heavy equipment left. What was proposed would have been a great deal for HELCO, but questionable for Orchidland. The County was not involved. Some board of directors were in favor, some were not. When put to a vote, the majority of the community association membership voted no to the proposal.
KW: '...ruining any chance that the county will ever try to help again. '
The main reason 40th will not be used by the County as an alternate route to either HWY 130 or Rd. 8 in Hawaiian Acres is the huge volume of water that crosses near Pohaku when there is any substantial rain. Anyone can go to the Orchidland website, go to the FAQs, and look at the photos under ' flooding problems'. And those pictures don't even do justice to what it feels like to be standing by the huge, powerful torrents of water raging by.
KimoWires: ' Back in the early days the county wanted to use 40th as a route to install power lines. '
This is inaccurate on several counts:
The'early days' : At the time, Orchidland had been existence for over 30 years ( early middle age ? ), and had a congenial community association established, one that had held fundraisers, printed T-shirts and cookbooks, and had hibachi get-togethers when ever gravel or cinder was laid.
It wasn't the County, but HELCO that wanted to run transmission lines from the 'waiting to be built' geothermal plant to Hilo across 40th.
When residents asked HELCO if power would become available to homeowners along the proposed route, the answer was 'not necessarily', because what HELCO was planning on was installing large capacity transmission lines ( the ones now along HWY 130 ), not the type that was needed for household use. The HELCO reps said they could bring up and discuss residential power distribution, but it was a separate issue from the transmission lines. They would make no guarantees about how they would leave the roads after all their heavy equipment left. What was proposed would have been a great deal for HELCO, but questionable for Orchidland. The County was not involved. Some board of directors were in favor, some were not. When put to a vote, the majority of the community association membership voted no to the proposal.
KW: '...ruining any chance that the county will ever try to help again. '
The main reason 40th will not be used by the County as an alternate route to either HWY 130 or Rd. 8 in Hawaiian Acres is the huge volume of water that crosses near Pohaku when there is any substantial rain. Anyone can go to the Orchidland website, go to the FAQs, and look at the photos under ' flooding problems'. And those pictures don't even do justice to what it feels like to be standing by the huge, powerful torrents of water raging by.