KTA looking to place a new market at Auli`i Dr.

[DTisme]

I'm not a big fan of KTA (bc the Hilo store smells bad and I've gotten produce that was rotten inside), but I'm for it. Malama and Foodland are expensive; Malama has limited shelf space, i.e., not much selection. Puna needs a reasonably-priced grocery store.

[DTisme]

Make that "the Puainako store" -- I've only been in downtown store like once and it didn't smell. (I swear someone dropped meat in the Puainako store some years ago and never cleaned it up.)

[DanielP]

Rob,

Community surveys do not dictate what "Rural Agricultural Districts" are, population density does.
Or Rose colored glasses. Lots of 'em.

Dan

[Rob Tucker]

Dan, The PCDP was a county operated program, not a private venture. I headed up the Land Use Working Group and a couple years was spent on the subject.

Rose colored glasses? Perhaps. But pretty much everyone I've talked to knows the difference between commercial sprawl and planned development with or without rose colored glasses.

[DanielP]

Rob,

I applaud PCDP for all of their hard work. However, I wonder if a professional planner for a major retail outlet might shed some perspective on population service

I am talking basic retail needs of build-out population. You just cannot serve that many people with big retail (esp. grocery) at only Kea'au and Pahoa. I am not saying that 130 should be turned into one big strip mall, not a chance, but one large shopping center mid way would serve the population better than several Malamas or foodlands.

Do you have data on what build-out population is for Puna makai?

Dan

[Rob Tucker]

Plan Pacific of Honolulu was the leading consultant on the PCDP.

http://www.planpacific.com/

As I recall the build out projection, assuming no new subdivisions of any scale, was 200,000+. Last I heard Puna is at about 22% of build out.

[DanielP]

Thanks Rob,

Very helpful. Sounds to me like a Master Plan for developing Puna makai is needed. To serve a population of 200,000 there will be major zoning changes needed. Better those come from the grass roots up, but with the current local population still holding on to the quaint notion of "Rural Agricultural district", I fear that there will be nothing but continuing gridlock.
So many folks just can't seem to grasp planning for 50 years into the future. By the time things get up-graded, they are already obsolete.

Keep up the good work, Dan

[Rob Tucker]

Mahalo Dan,

One of the base thoughts I keep and kept in mind during the PCDP was that we inherited such a mess from fifty years ago that a central goal is not to leave as big a mess for fifty years from now. It can be considered a fortunate thing in a way that Puna has been so neglected. In some ways Puna is a relatively blank slate so some big mistakes have not yet taken place. There is no need for "redevelopment" where stuff gets torn down to remake an area. We get to have the community affect the future of this place instead of the future affecting the community. There is a difference.

[DanielP]

I worked for a gentleman who had acres of beautiful gardens and I asked him;
"How does one begin to build such beautiful gardens?" "First you lay out the paths" was his reply.

I just don't know if there is the vision or the wisdom or the balls to get past this first necessary step. I hope so.

Dan

[hikatz]

I am definitely in the minority, personally I think it would be great to have the shopping center on hwy 130. It would be convenient and accessible for everyone, including people who do not have transportation since this will be on the bus route.