KAPAAU — Pololu Valley Lookout draws thousands of tourists to the northernmost point of Hawaii Island each year, with dramatic views of the verdant valley and black sand beach below.
On weekends, between 80 and 100 convertibles, Jeeps, SUVs and sedans crowd both sides of the narrow road leading up to it.
Bill Shontell, executive vice president of Surety Kohala Corporation, was born and raised in Kohala. KP Holdings LLC, a subsidiary, owns the land closest to the lookout.
At an April meeting led by North Kohala Community Development Planning Committee (CDP), nearly 40 residents, county and state officials listened as Shontell offered to donate several acres of KP Holding land 75 yards from the lookout area on the mauka side of the road, where additional parking and restroom facilities could be added.
“At the beginning of 2017 we were approached by representatives of several community groups and staff members from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and Rep. Cindy Evan’s office to find solutions to some of the problems in Pololu Valley Lookout,” Shontell said. “These problems are directly related to overcrowding and lack of facilities in this very popular but very undersized venue. We have long recognized this and were pleased to see these various groups and individuals step up to work towards addressing the issues at the lookout.”
During the busy season, cars often form a long line from the lookout down the road. In addition to limited parking, the destination doesn’t have a comfort station.
“There’s never been a restroom there,” Shontell said. “You drive out to Waipio and they’ve had that restroom facility out there for as long as I can remember. It makes sense to have something similar here.”
Over the last decade, the number of tourists visiting the lookout has increased dramatically.
“Social media is a powerful force,” Shontell said. “It brings people to a place they never would have found out about 20 years ago. In the last five to eight years the number of cars at the lookout has quadrupled. As a result, the half dozen or so parking stalls has become inadequate. The state spends all this money to attract tourists out here, but we don’t even provide a toilet. It’s embarrassing.”
At a meeting two months earlier, John Winter, chair of North Kohala CDP Action Committee, shared a proposal displaying what an added facility could include, based on conversations with various groups including Surety Kohala Corporation.
“Principal among these problems are heavy parking congestion and inadequate parking space during high tourist season, increased crime that has included car break-ins and lack of toilet facilities. Many visitors use the bushes, creating an aesthetic and health challenge,” he said in the presentation.
“We realize a dilemma: While something ought to be done to address these problems, many residents want to ‘Keep Kohala Kohala.’ A reasonable solution therefore must strike a delicate balance. We propose creating a parking area on the mauka side of the highway, well before the present lookout and local homes.”
Winter suggested adding a small but adequate parking area to accommodate current and future needs.
“Parking along the roadside and at the lookout itself should be restricted and enforced. A popular proposal at a community meeting was to allow a turn-around at the present lookout. This would allow vehicles to discharge passengers and return to the parking area,” he said. “The remainder of the lookout parking lot would become a pedestrian-only area with a view of the Pololu Valley and interpretive signs explaining various historical and natural phenomena. We believe this proposal addresses the problems while not overly developing the area.”
Surety Kohala Corporation owns some 8,000 acres, much of which is leased out, according to Shontell. Of those, KP Holdings owns 134 acres on the west side of the lookout, 180 acres nearby, 85 acres at the front of the valley below and another 1,000 acres back in the valley.
“We’re the longest lived land holding entity up here,” Shontell said.
An initial proposal to address the parking need was created nearly 50 years ago.
“The county first approved a construction plan to build a pavilion and comfort station there in 1969,” he said, rolling out the original blueprint. “I’m not sure why they never moved forward on this, but in the last five to 10 years the parking needs have become noticeable.”
It has not been decided who will manage the project, Shontell said.
“Rep. Evans has been a spark plug in this whole thing,” he said. “She’s been really concerned with the overcrowding issues at the lookout and conditions down below in Pololu Valley. She will be organizing the next meeting, bringing all these components together. I’ve been hearing about this need my whole life.”
Shontell hopes the parking and comfort station can be completed in a reasonable amount of time — a few years rather than a few decades to resolve the problem.
“We’ve got plenty of space nearby so we’d be willing to throw in an acre, acre and a half or two acres; whatever works out there,” he said.
The decision to move forward will be made by the agencies and politicians, Shontell said.
“This time, the stakeholders are paying attention. Sometime later this summer would be a good time for everyone to get together around the table and work out the details,” he said. “In my mind, as long as you can stay focused, and not get distracted, you can actually solve the problem.”
Rep. Cindy Evans kept hearing about the condition of the road going to Pololu Lookout during 2016, so she asked the Department (DOT) of Transportation district manager to join her for a site visit.
“We agreed the popularity by visitors had increased so much that cars parked on both sides of the road and the lack of a turn-around created unsafe conditions for pedestrians, bikes and cars,” she said. “In addition, people were going to the bathroom on the trail or on the pavement creating a public health hazard.”
Evans approached the Parks, Waters and Roads sub-committee for North Kohala and asked them for help in reaching out to the residents.
“At this time, I am waiting for state DLNR-DOFAW to tell me they want a community meeting,” she said. “DLNR has said they plan to work with DOT on the current infrastructure and determine the ownership and control of land by the state.”
She continued, “This issue needs our attention now, so I will keep in contact with DOFAW and ask them what they need to keep this project moving forward. I hope they complete their evaluation before the upcoming legislative session and provide an estimate on cost of planning and design.”
Public meetings will be part of the planning process.
“The solution will be a collective effort of the entire North Kohala community, the neighbors most impacted by the lookout, DLNR, DOT and elected officials,” Evans concluded.