11-30-2008, 07:39 AM
I too like the small town quality of Hilo.
Unfortunately, the number of cars in the parking lots has gotten crazy since I moved to this side 5 years ago. It was not stressful then to go to any of the shopping centers and simply park, unlike now.
A lot of the new crowding must be a result of the growth explosion in Puna, all the new homes and residents who have to go to Hilo for far too many goods and services. Hilo has not grown much, but the population it serves has ... and that changes Hilo.
As it seems the population of Puna is here to stay and grow, I do think it's time for there to be new shopping and dining in Puna to lessen the strain on 130. Keeping Puna rural and quaint by blocking that is not fair to Hilo.
Newcomers to Puna, like in this last year or two, unless you visited a lot previously, you do not see how much the growth has impacted Hilo and made it less pleasant to navigate.
I'm writing this because I need to go to town and get a couple things in the area of Walmart ... and five years ago it would have been a laid back errand, but today I am procrastinating because I don't feel like driving up and down the parking aisles and dealing with the crowded stores.
Re the Big Box - I am glad that Home Depot came to Hilo. I renovated a house over here when HPM and Ace were the big options, and even if you like HPM - they are way nicer now than they were when they didn't have competition. Nicer to the individual homeowner, they may have always treated contractors well, I wouldn't know.
Unfortunately, the number of cars in the parking lots has gotten crazy since I moved to this side 5 years ago. It was not stressful then to go to any of the shopping centers and simply park, unlike now.
A lot of the new crowding must be a result of the growth explosion in Puna, all the new homes and residents who have to go to Hilo for far too many goods and services. Hilo has not grown much, but the population it serves has ... and that changes Hilo.
As it seems the population of Puna is here to stay and grow, I do think it's time for there to be new shopping and dining in Puna to lessen the strain on 130. Keeping Puna rural and quaint by blocking that is not fair to Hilo.
Newcomers to Puna, like in this last year or two, unless you visited a lot previously, you do not see how much the growth has impacted Hilo and made it less pleasant to navigate.
I'm writing this because I need to go to town and get a couple things in the area of Walmart ... and five years ago it would have been a laid back errand, but today I am procrastinating because I don't feel like driving up and down the parking aisles and dealing with the crowded stores.
Re the Big Box - I am glad that Home Depot came to Hilo. I renovated a house over here when HPM and Ace were the big options, and even if you like HPM - they are way nicer now than they were when they didn't have competition. Nicer to the individual homeowner, they may have always treated contractors well, I wouldn't know.