Yuen: Kona Kai Ola not a good idea
Project would cause even more strain on area
The massive Kona Kai Ola development at Honokohau would likely further strain a Kona community already short on housing, labor and roads, according to the county's planning director.Additionally, Chris Yuen said the Jacoby Group's planned 1,800 timeshares and 700 hotel units will speed up growth and development in Kailua-Kona when such activities should be slowed down to catch up with what has already been approved.
"We do not need a project in Kona that adds 2,500 hotel rooms to the inventory," said Yuen about the proposed major development on public lands around Honokohau Harbor. "It will exacerbate the problems we have now and generate even more need."
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Yuen's frank analysis was issued in anticipation of a Hawaii County Council resolution seeking a General Plan amendment for the project, proposed by the Georgia-based developer on lands leased to it by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaiian Home Lands.
However, the resolution was filed last week before any debate could take place among the lawmakers.
Despite that, Jacoby has not dropped its plans, and Yuen, who said the project would significantly increase demand for people and services where there is already a shortage of both, has not dropped his opposition.
"The hotel and timeshare units, given typical staffing levels, will require from one half to one employee per unit," wrote Yuen, who estimated there are already 1,000 vacant jobs in Kona. "These employees cannot come from an existing pool of unemployed people seeking resort jobs in Kona, because there isn't one."
Yuen said there would have to be a huge increase in the inventory of affordable housing to avoid long commutes by the new workers who would fill these service industry jobs.
Jacoby -- whose local spokesman, David Tarnas, was not available for comment Monday -- would be required by the county to build about 500 affordable homes, should it end up building 2,500 units.
"Clearly, long-distance commuting is not a viable strategy," Yuen said. "The roads are already overcrowded, and commuters use the roads at the most congested times."
Yuen, who also pointed out the skyrocketing cost of gasoline, said the alternative of spending hours a day on mass transit is less than desirable.
Even if the developer was able to provide sufficient housing for all the workers in the resort, Yuen said the economic activity generated by the Jacoby development will likely lead to more development in the surrounding area and strain schools, roads, parks and other public facilities.
"Government will have to build these facilities to keep up," said Yuen, who added that most of all current development received land use approvals during the 1970s through 1990s.
Even without Kona Kai Ola, Yuen said there is a great deal of further development built into existing zoning.
"Thousands of units can be built within Hualalai Resort, Kukio, Keauhou, Hokulia and other approved projects," he said. "This is enough to fuel construction activity and growth for the visitor and second home market for years for come."
While the Kim administration has supported major rezonings such as Palamanui, Yuen said those were approved because of the housing opportunities they presented.
"These rezonings were meant to absorb the growth generated by resort-oriented development that had previously been approved," Yuen said. "We need more housing for people of ordinary means.
"This project, however, is different," he said. "It will generate further development that somehow will have to be absorbed in a community that is already struggling with excessive growth."
Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann called Yuen's analysis a compelling argument against the Jacoby project and for concurrency.
"I don't see how anyone could approve a resort designation for the Jacoby development after Chris Yuen's study," Hoffmann said. "We must address the shortfall before going ahead with what would otherwise be a pretty good development."
Find out more
- David Tarnas, spokesman for Jacoby Development, will speak to Destination Kona Coast at noon today at the Royal Kona Resort about the proposed Kona Kai Ola project adjacent to Honokohau Harbor.
The cost, which includes lunch, is $15 for members $18 for non-members.
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