Eileen Ohara resolution 732

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COUNTY OF HAWAII - STATE OF HAWAII

RESOLUTION NO. 732 18

A RESOLUTION URGING THE COUNTY OF HAWAII TQ MAKE RECOVERING

THOSE SECTIONS OF COUNTY HIGHWAY 132 THAT WERE INUNDATED WITH

LAVA FROM THE MAY 3, 2018 VOLCANIC ERUPTION A TOP PRIORITY IN

PUNA' S RECOVERY EFFORTS, AND COMMENCE PLANNING THE FUNDING AND

ROUTING OF A REPLACEMENT ROAD AND IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO ACCOMMODATE RESIDENTS OF AFFECTED

COMMUNITIES.

WHEREAS, the volcanic eruPption in Puna that started May3, 2018, has resulted in the

loss of a significant number of miles of both public and private roadways; and

WHEREAS, approximately 3 miles of County Highway 132, which provides the

primary access to much of Kapoho, from Lava Tree State monument to Cape Kumukahi was

covered by lava from the May 3rd eruption; and

WHEREAS, in early May 2018, the County paved a ten-foot wide asphalt strip of the

previously graveled 3. 8 miles of Government Beach Road from the Hawaiian Shores

Recreational Estates terminus at the privately-owned Papio Street, which has a 40- foot right-ofway,

to the remnant of County Highway 137 built across the 1960 lava flow; and

WHEREAS, the paving of Government Beach Road, which is narrow and winding, was

completed to accommodate access for the Kapoho area residents and businesses given the

direction taken by the May 3rd lava event; and

WHEREAS, the recently paved section of Government Beach Road is part of the Old

King' s Highway and has always been deemed an emergency access road by the County; and

WHEREAS, the initial quarter mile of Government Beach Road no longer follows the

original road right-of-way due to cliff subsidence into the ocean and the entire section known as

Honolulu Landing is fully within the tsunami zone, making it unsafe as an emergency route

during high surf events, such as hurricanes and tsunamis; and

WHEREAS, due to the May 3rd lava event, Government Beach Road is now the only

access for hundreds of households living along Government Beach Road, in the Wa`awa`a

Subdivision, on Papaya Farms Road, and in the area known as Noni Farms Road, placing these

residents in peril due to inability to evacuate by roadway when the area experiences another

extreme weather event; and

WHEREAS, due to the impacts of the May 3rd lava event, the Kapoho Cinder Pits

continue to be utilized by local trucking businesses providing much needed materials for road

building, which results in approximately 50 commercial truck trips daily of thirty-three cubic

yard cinder trucks traversing the narrow Government Beach Road, navigating the narrow and

privately held Papio Street, and continuing six miles up Kahakai Boulevard to Highway 130,

through a residential neighborhood where speed limits are set at 35 miles-per-hour, with no

paved shoulders and limited pedestrian walkways, thus creating a nuisance and public safety

issue; and

WHEREAS, a realignment of the Government Beach Road with Coastal Puna Parkway

owned by the Hawaiian Shores Community Association, which has an eighty foot right-of-way,

twenty-four feet of asphalt, and well maintained grassy shoulders, is supported by the landowner

Habashi) of the property known as Honolulu Landing and desired by the Hawaiian Shores

Community Association, owner of Coastal Puna Parkway which the association would like to

dedicate to the County; and

WHEREAS, the realignment of the Government Beach Road with Coastal Puna

Parkway would resolve the problems of subsidence andinundation by the ocean along the stretch

of the road known as Honolulu Landing and provide the County with a road right-of-way

extending from Hawaiian Paradise Park to Kapoho; and

WHEREAS, the nearly 150 active farms, homes, and agricultural lands in the area of

Kapoho referred to as Noni Farms that were not inundated with lava, must now take a lengthy

circuitous route along old cane roads, across private properties, down the narrow, windy and

hilly section of the Government Beach Road connecting to privately owned Papio Street, and

then six miles up Kahakai Boulevard to reach Highway 130 increasing the commute to Pahoa by

approximately 30- 35 minutes since the lava event; and

WHEREAS, there exists an old railroad right-of-way in this area that connects to Kahala

Street (Railroad) in Hawaiian Shores Recreational Estates and another section connects to Kehau

Boulevard in Nanawale Estates; and

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WHEREAS, gaining a perpetual right-of-way from the four landowners (Lyman, Chow,

Kamehameha Schools/ Bishop Estates, and State of Hawai' i) holding title to these railroad

rights- of-way can be achieved.and a portion of this alternative access has already been developed

as a gravel roadway for.emergency use only and remains behind a locked gate inaccessible to the

public; and

WHEREAS, developing these alternative roadways was already under consideration as a

part of a road connectivity plan for Lower Puna with an internal working group spearheaded by

the Mayor' s office to accommodate future growth. The May 3rd volcanic eruption has increased

the urgency to develop these alternatives; and

WHEREAS, the alternative road access involving the realignment of Government Beach

Road and opening of the Railroad right-of-way provide more immediate solutions for

accommodating land owners', needs for access in the Kapoho area, but do not resolve all access

issues such as large commercial truck traffic along residential roadways and access to the many

hundreds of acres of farmland and dozens of homesteads that were not inundated by lava and

which were located south of Highway 132; and

WHEREAS,.large landowners and commercial operations with;expertise, materials, and

heavy equipment are interested in.partnering with the County-to open alternative accesses and

rebuild Highway 132; and

WHEREAS, rebuilding the sections of Highway 132 that were inundated by lava either

along the existing right-of-way or along an alternative path, will resolve access issues for nearly

all the Kapoho area communities while private landowners will.need.to take the lead in

developing secondary access from a rebuilt Highway 132; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF TME COUNTY OF HAWAII that it

urges the County administration to develop these proposed alternative access routes to realign

Government Beach Road and open the Railroad right-of-way to Kahala-Street and/ or Kehau

Boulevard as soon as possible. ..

BE IT,FURTHER RESOLVEI).that rebuilding Highway, 132 and identifying funding

sources, obtaining road easements, planning.and engineering road construction should be the

highest priority for the County Administration.


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