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Wil Okabe, County of Hawaii managing director.
"I know on the east side, we really have to look into our infrastructure and try and develop some hotels and some areas where they can stay," he said. "Otherwise they'll be coming here to Kona and they'll be driving across the Daniel K. Inouye Highway to get to the Hilo side."
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Hey, Mr. Managing Director! How about killing the anti-vacation rental regulations because that would provide instant relief without costing the County any money!
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We need a new county park somewhere between Kapoho and Kalapana. A series of many man-made tide pools carved into the lava, deep like swimming pools and shallow for the kids. Solar powered water slides. A parking area for food trucks, and another for pop-up vendors (who can sell reef-safe suntan lotion, beach mats, art, etc...) Campgrounds and cabins. A huge covered amphitheater for concerts, and enough parking for Woodstock!
- County does it because a private party probably never could
- Instead of another megacorporation owning it, vendors will all be local folks, local jobs
- It can be a venue big enough for all sorts of events, including national music festivals and "burning man" style events
- It's not so much about infrastructure as having the space, and could start out simple (tidepools, restrooms, and parking) and improve over time
- Commercial land (with certain covenants and appearance requirements) could be zoned and subdivided around the park, and it's sale used to fund the project, with the idea that it would be a popular destination drawing many tourists in the future.
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I would agree that randomq's suggestion has merit, but no possibility of ever happening. First, it would require a hefty tax increase because Harry Kim has told us all multiple times that the county has nowhere it could economize to cover the cost. Otherwise, it might divert precious funds from automatic county employee pay raises that have no relationship to job performance. And then there are the environmental obstructionists. Never mind that this would likely be on moonscape, volcano blasted land. Those crickets that have taken up residence there must be protected! Dream on.
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New man-made ocean recreation is important to the future of East Hawaii.
On another website we discussed Kona's best snorkeling site, Kahaluu Bay. The small bay is totally overwhelmed by the large number of users, who inadvertently damage its shallow coral. I suggested a swimming/snorkeling lagoon be built at Old Airport. New parks reduce overcrowding at existing parks.
Opinion ran against me about 5-1, with people, including native Hawaiians, railing about having the shoreline "dredged." (The way these projects are build now is entirely on land--"excavation"--with openings to the sea.)
Environmentalists have done a masterful job of propagandizing most people into believing that man-made lagoons and rock pools degrade shoreline environments. I haven't figured out exactly how the environmentalists did this--but they did.
its all the sunscreen and plastic kayak shavings killing stuff mark : )
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New man-made ocean recreation is important to the future of East Hawaii.
Development is not possible, but we can always raise taxes.
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No worries. The looming recession will take care of that.
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Do we need some of this...
Fox News? That article may or may not be real but the fact that anyone is willing to source Fox is very troubling.
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In a rare event for Fox News, the article is real, and it cites reputable sources, including the some decent economists and tourism experts. My favorite bit from the article:
“Hawai‘i tourism has been negatively affected by rapid growth, diminishing economic contributions, and the lack of a comprehensive tourism management plan,” the report claims.
We don't have a plan. Imagine that!
