definition of "lower Puna"

[ScottEF]

Volcano area to be Upper Puna

Volcano should be part of Hilo, not Puna or Ka'u.

While "lower" and "upper" may be a matter of opinion, I think the boundaries of Puna itself are more precisely defined as it is a government district; the map here https://web.archive.org/web/201107080808.../map01.htm shows it extending just west of Volcano and ending at the Chain of Craters Road and Pu'u oo trail, past which is Ka'u or a sliver of the "North Hilo" district on the slopes of Mauna Loa. Volcano may have historically been used by Hilo residents in various ways, but is not part of the Hilo district itself.

---

"There's also "follow the money", consider the large-scale "worthless land" subdivisions relative to the rest of the district."

You lost me here ?

I'm guessing he meant that "lower" Puna is considered, or has the connotation of being, that land which is also "lower" in economic value. Though there are certainly many outliers, e.g. Kapoho Bay before 2018.


Actually I've also just now noticed that, at least according to google's terrain map, 130 actually starts out pretty level south of Keaau and then goes uphill as you go to Pahoa (as someone else noted earlier), then further up on the way to Leilani, only dropping past the steam vents. So if the terms refer to elevation, there's a case for Keaau being in "lower" Puna after all, despite its being "above" it on a north-up map. OTOH, perhaps lower and upper are generalities, as most of the land around Pahoa is lower, and most of the northern half of Puna, around Keaau, is higher--since most of it is high land just west thereof--exceptions notwithstanding. And for that matter, the same thing could be said about economic value. So maybe it is about economics (and/or urban density) after all, and proximity to the relative "heights" of Hilo's scores on these factors. And on further reflection, My2cent's suggestion above that it's really about the division between LZ3 and LZ1&2, which obviously explains a large part of the land value difference, sounds very plausible.