09-20-2007, 10:22 AM
We will probably get at least one, whether the Council likes it or not. WalMart is negotiating with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands for a lease behind their current store in Hilo where they plan to build a SuperCenter. DHH, by state law, trumps County zoning, and is exempt from this ordinance. It will probably be a traffic mess, if for no other reason than the fact that the DOT is incapable of doing anything in a speedy manner. If WalMart is smart, they will finance road improvements themselves to avoid this pitfall. In the end, at least in Hilo the people will get to vote with their dollars, and we all know how that will turn out. The SuperCenter will be a huge success.