A new road through Paradise Park (??)

[Rob Tucker]

The Railroad easement ceased to exist with the demise of Puna Suger. The granted easement was not a permanent one and only applied to the railroad operation. All that is left is the old road bed.

[jade]

Hi Rob,
We live in HPP. It would be nice to have an altenate road and I would support that. I do understand the traffic issues. When the highway gets backed up people take 28th to cut across. Traffic is getting heavier on that street that is why the police were issuing speeding tickets there the other day. The more people that move into HPP the greater the demand will be. However no one likes change good or bad.

[JerryCarr]

I have had several people, one of whom was involved in the last county plan (back in the 90's??) tell me that the highway engineers don't like the alignment of Railroad through HPP. It winds, especially on the Pahoa side, resulting in multiple crossings of numbered residential roads, as well as the expected crossings of the main paved roads. Also, the width of the right of way is said to be somewhat narrower than the rest of the streets in HPP, which appears to be true from casual observation.

None-the-less, Railroad still gets mentioned frequently due to its appearance on maps as being handy and already there. It has also been mentioned as a candidate for a hike-bike-recreation corridor to theoretically compensate the community for the disruption of a new road. (Throw them a bone and maybe they'll shut up? Oops,my cynicism is showing.)

None of this is official, of course, but does indicate some of the thinking going on.

Cheers,
Jerry

[holahan]

aloha all,

we own property down on 3rd street (Awa) that is vacant at present. because we bought close to the ocean, i'm not as worried about a through-road making it all the way down there. but i don't like the idea of turning railroad into a through road, just for some hilo shoppers. i have a feeling that the "soon to retire" bunch, coming from the mainland to settle in HPP will have enough money to fight any roads, or at least make 'em want to put it elsewhere. i'm guessing up-country might be a better solution, as it seems there's more open space up that way, and might be less of an incovenience to multiple property owners. who knows, guess we'll have to wait and see....

aloha,

holahan

[Kapohocat]

I disagree with the "upcountry" idea as the roads currently there flood often. Ever taken Ainaloa to 8 Road as an alternate when there was an accident on the Pahoa-Keaau Hwy during a heavy rain?

Rob - What about the beach road acess that is currently dirt through WaaWaa and then barely passable with 4 WD through to HPP?

-Cat

[Rob Tucker]

Federal money is not available for roads in a tsunami zone.

[macuu222]

I am an HPP resident who has lived here for the past 20 years. I've seen the park change from wide open spaces and 0 traffic to a very populated subdivision with traffic not only on hwy 130 but also on the three main arteries into the park. I'm retired now and don't have to deal with the commute every morning and evening like most people but I do go into Hilo occasionly in the morning during rush hour and find the traffic getting worse. Many people try to bypass the traffic on 130 by using 28th ave across the park to connect with the shoulder lane that begins at Shower and have seen 28th ave backed up all the way back to Kaloli . I don't like the idea of a highway through the park but unless we do "something"....the situation will only get worse as more and more people are moving into the park.

We have more people in this one subdivision than most towns on this whole island. We are the second largest subdivision in the United States. I don't know what the largest subdivision is.....but I sure would like to know if they are as populated as we are and if they are.....how they deal with the traffic.

So what I guess I'm saying is that something has to be done. If it comes down to a roadway through our subdivison or just do nothing...then I will support a highway even if it goes down my street.

[JerryCarr]

Aloha, Macuu222:
It will be resisted and take a lot of years, but I think there will eventually be some sort of road across HPP. The subdivision's 1990's master plan (I am probably not using the right term, so somebody correct me) calls for a gated emergency evacuation road to cross at 15th. That route has the advantage of passing by two of the large undivided 20 acre areas set aside for commercial and other non-residential use. I recently learned that those parcels are not yet zoned for commercial use, though.

In any case, such a route would probably affect fewer homeowners than other routes because of the 20 acre parcels being set aside. There are still, however, quite a few houses on 15th. My concern is that those homeowners be dealt with fairly and even relocated, if necessary.

Realistically, though, we can expect some serious opposition from very sincere people who are against any road that divides the community. I know some of these people, and they are not totally unreasonable or just NIMBY types. Some think that four laning 130 will take care of things. Others think that different patterns of development (village centers with shopping and jobs in Puna) could eliminate the need for more roads to Hilo. Some even support multiple routes so nobody has all the traffic going in front of their house.

Everybody needs to be listened to, and as many of us as possible need to participate in the Puna Community Development Plan.

Cheers,
Jerry

[lizr]

Iam not an HPP resident, though I have lived there in the past and liked it very much and have a number of friends there.

it has always seemed to me a better idea to make the village concept work and avoid the four laning of 130 as long as possible. Much if not most of the traffic going in to town appears to be from HPP in the rush hours. If there were banks, or at least ATMs, and a post office branch, and maybe a food store, it seems like many people could avoid 130.

The thing about 4 laning 130 is that it will facilitate more development, and we are having a hard enough time absorbing the growth we have right now. It is a challenge. The new folks are bringing lots of business savvy and new skill sets which are much needed in Puna/Pahoa, but the pace of change is overwhelming to many of the old timers.

I'd like to see Railroad become the bike and walking path, and slow road into Hilo. like 25 mph speed limits. that would give us an alternative route, without destroying (hopefully ) the quality of life for those who live there now.

I'd also like to see many of the new people start to relate to their community which has a lot of needs, like basic literacy (HIGH rate of illiteracy here!) and life skill training. I know there are many retired people here now who have a lot to share!

Wish I had the time to organize somethign along these lines.. any takers?

da kine-

Liz Randol ®
Realty Executives Hawaii Brokers Inc. Hilo
www.liz-randol.com
www.liz-randol.com/spiritpath

[Lee DeJongh]

Rob
Improved access to lower Puna is inevitable and necessary. We own property on 4th in HPP.

There is a way to improve access without creating new roads across HPP.

1. Extend 130 as 4 lane LIMITED access to just past Makuu.

2. Establish TWO new roads to the sea on either side of HPP. Hilo side and Pahoa side.
Establish these as future 4 lane but build them as two lane.

3. Extend selected dead ends from Kaloli and Makuu to these side roads. If too much objection from deadenders, extend ALL HPP roads.

4. Use Pahoa side new road to create an extension to Hawaian Beaches, Nanawale and Leilani and futher, to Kapaho.

5. This preserves 130 past Makuu as forever 2 lane and it preserves the Red Road as forever a rural road.

6. Provides escape route for lower Puna in times of trouble.

7. All of the needed land is vacant and since Shipman land is valued by the state at a few dollars per acre, cost should be cheap. (tongue firmly in cheek)