where's the "development"?

[kalakoa]

The D in PCDP is for "development", which seems to have ceased ever since "pass it now/amend it later".

While the closure of Pearl bakery is perhaps the most obvious example, I've noticed that development also isn't happening even where it's specifically outlined (as "Village Commercial" zoning) in the PCDP. There should be a "corner store" in Ainaloa by now, along with an auto shop in downtown Mountain View.

Meanwhile, the nice people at Planning say it'll take "about six months" to approve plans for a huge shopping center (formerly Bryson's Cinders) in New Pahoa.

Now comes the state DHHL telling Uncle Sam that he doesn't have "permits, zoning, traffic study" to run a small market. How dare the citizens have commerce without leasing expensive space in Hilo, Keaau, or maybe Pahoa!

[Rob Tucker]

Yeah, I'm not pleased to see Sam being picked on by a corrupt DHHL.

There has been village center development in Pahoa like it or not. The Long's Drug and associated FF joints would have much preferred to be elsewhere on the highway but came into the Pahoa Village Center umbrella. That is "D". There is a $2 million proposed commercial development on the Bryson's property across from Pahoa Auto Parts also. Proposing 200-400 jobs.

Unfortunately a new commercial project in the older part of Pahoa was turned back by council after a rather mean spirited character assassination effort by a neighbor who has commercial zoning. NIMBYs appear to have won that one for the moment.

Development would be easier if Shipman/Yoshimoto had not watered down the PCDP with amendments.

But overall Pahoa is seeing a few million in "D".

There is also a commercial venture approved (I believe) on Ainaloa Blvd.

[kalakoa]

Pahoa is nice, but for about the same drive time I can shop in Hilo. So I wonder what's up with Keaau (Hokulani's just closed, and that project behind the Shell has been stalled forever), and how come nobody can open a business anywhere in Mountain View.

If "it's the economy", there wouldn't be a brand new stripmall in Hilo (or a Sports Authority, or plans for a Zippys, etc).

If the plan is "drive everywhere for everything", how about some decent roads? (hahaha)

[wax]

I have seen a lot of activity around the new restaurant building in Keaau and understand that it will open in September.

Interesting point about amendments to thePCDP. Had it not been amended development in Pahoa would now be stopped by the PCDP. The original kept total commercial space in Pahoa to 250,000 square feet. Between Pahoa Market Place (Malama Market, etc), Woodland (Longs, etc.) and the old village that mark would have been exceeded. No more could be built in Pahoa.

[rainyjim]

Not to be negative but it seems pretty obvious the "powers that be" i.e. the elected officials in Hawaii are all about getting you to shop at Wal-mart, Longs, home depot, you name it any big corporate box store that funnels money into the hands of very few. I think the real question is why do we keep electing officials (all over the states not just Hawaii) that support this kind of trash instead of local products and local business. I'm sure any politician you asked would be quick to say they support local business, but in my world words and ideas mean nothing and actions mean everything. It is certainly evident their is very little action to curb the corporate entities and ease the entry of local business into the local economy. Sorry for the poorly formatted post/block of text posting on a mobile device. Hope I didn't derail the thread but I think this is a big part of the development issue. We need to make sure our new development is headed in the right direction and that direction is certainly not the corporate route such as wal-mart or Safeway.

Cheers

rainyjim

[wax]

I suppose it couldn't be that through careful risk taking these guys grew to the point where the could use buying power to eliminate several intermediaries, buy in bulk, distribute efficiently and ultimately sell more product at lower prices could it?

Wal-mart for one has spent massively to develop one of the most sophisticated computer systems for buying, warehousing, distribution, stocking and selling in the world. The result is extreme efficiency in determining what to buy, how to buy it, from whom and in what time frames. Most other retailers simply cannot match the inherent efficiencies. Small local stores are at a particular disadvantage.

So the issue is not government favoring these stores, it is whether goernment should restrict consumer choice by banning them. With Puna's particular demographics this would only result in the bulk of our consumers driving to Hilo to buy from them anyway - throwing the burden on those least able to handle it.

[dwedeking]

@wax.

To some degree you are correct. But large multinational corporations have also spent tons of money lobbying to get regulations put into place so that the independent start up company has a lot of hoops to jump through to get off the ground. Research what happens when you hit your 15th employee, there is a long list of regulations that you now how to comply with raising the cost and risk of doing business. And this doesn't count the tax breaks these firms get when they come to a community in the name of "bringing in jobs". And with a large and highly skilled law and accounting division they can take advantage of loop holes in the tax code to shift their money around and avoid taxation (Apple has an office in Reno that does nothing but this one act saving the company billions each year).

This doesn't touch the ethical issues of offshoring jobs at slave wages.

Unfortunately the general public doesn't care about supporting local companies or the ethics of how their products are delivered to them. All they care about is the end price at the register without a thought to the long term costs of offshoring of jobs, giving local money to a corporation that will take a large percentage of it off-island.

I don't see any strong resurgence of local entrepreneurship until you change the corporation laws to weaken the multi-nationals, change government regulations that hinder sole proprietorships/start ups, AND educate the general public in regards to long term buying habits and where the money goes. Fat chance in my life time.

[punaticbychoice]

dwedeking:
I agree.
However I've had some bad experiences with local merchants.
So it's not !00% clearcut.
The local elites here, including the top rungs at DHHL and OHA
live in their own self reinforcing and often corrupt worlds.

[dwedeking]

I agree. But it's easier to break a local merchant (don't shop there, they go out of business) and also easier (not easy, but easier) to attack local corruption. Busting a multi billion dollar international cartel that owns your government is impossible (or close enough to impossible to look identical).

[punaticbychoice]

dwedeking:
Oh yes that's the big problem.