KAILUA-KONA — The Board of Land and Natural Resources Friday approved a management right of entry for Hawaii County onto a parcel of land known as Village 9, which Mayor Harry Kim plans to use first as a temporary homeless camp before developing it into a long-term housing site replete with social services for Kona’s substantial homeless population.
The BLNR’s decision paves the way for both county initiatives to become realities, allowing for immediate entry to 5 acres of the 35-acre parcel located near the West Hawaii Civic Center and a stone’s throw from Kealakehe High School.
The decision also included approval of an executive order that will transfer ownership of the full parcel from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, a branch of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism — a necessary transition for the county’s long-term site plan.
“The executive order itself will take time,” said Roy Takemoto, an executive assistant to Kim who takes the lead on most county development projects. “But in the meantime, they have an immediate authority for HHFDC to issue a right of entry to the county.”
He added the 15-20 acre permanent development, likely still years away, will be good to go as long as the HHFDC meets the requirements for the transfer, which Takemoto expects to happen.
One of Takemoto’s contacts within the HHFDC told him Friday that he thought the board might defer the action until it received a presentation from the county.
That turned out not to be the case, but Hawaii County representatives are likely to lay out their plans at the next BLNR action in Honolulu, which Takemoto’s contact speculated might involve approval of the ground lease for the project.
Catalysts and contexts
A few dozen homeless who were evicted from Old Kona Airport Park in August are currently residing at Camp Kikaha, a homeless encampment situated in the middle of the Old Kona Industrial Area. The camp, however, has added some stresses on the business community in what is otherwise a commercial area, prompting the county’s search for a new solution.
The county’s answer came in the form of the Village 9 plan, which will essentially transfer the open-air encampment mauka out of the industrial area while also expanding it. Officials have said the temporary 5-acre site may accommodate up to 100 homeless individuals.
A parking area will be included for homeless who reside in their vehicles. Running water and restroom facilities will be brought online at the site before any homeless head up the mountain.
Eventually, igloo-type structures costing approximately $11,000-$12,000 a piece will crop up across the area, which will be segmented and provide housing for men, women and families alike. The permanent site is expected to accommodate up to 300 homeless individuals.
Outreach facilities primarily focused on basic services, substance abuse counseling and mental health care will accompany the permanent project.
The igloo housing structures may precede development of the permanent site to allow for more privacy and security among temporary residents.
The next phase of development is an environmental assessment. Takemoto said there may have been exemptions allowing the county to forego that process as a previous EA was done at the site and may have covered the county’s intended use.
However, he added the county felt it was prudent to conduct an EA for two reasons. The first is that a small portion of the parcel serves as a critical habitat for the endangered uhiuhi plant.
“The second reason for the EA is to give the community an opportunity to express their concerns,” Takemoto explained. “We know the community does have concerns with having homeless in their backyard.”
The EA is likely to begin by November and will cover plans for both the temporary and permanent sites. Takemoto expects the EA will have progressed enough to allow for community meetings in January. If all goes according to plan, he said work to prepare the land for the 5-acre temporary site might begin as early as February.
The county’s flexibility to expedite the EA is possible because it will “piggyback,” Takemoto said, on a separate EA required for the proposed Kealakehe Regional Park, the site of which is adjacent to the Village 9 parcel.
The regional park — which if realized would span 190 acres and include ball fields and potentially a performing arts area — stretches back decades. It was identified in the Kona Community Development Plan during Kim’s first stint in office in the early 2000s. The Billy Kenoi administration oversaw the development of a master plan for the park during his tenure as mayor.
The parcel for the park has already been transferred to the county via executive order and a proposal for an EA was already in the hands of the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation waiting for someone to act upon it.
“Because we’re rushing on this homeless (EA), we will also kick off the assessment for the regional park and get that going at the same time,” Takemoto said. “It’s something that was just a fortunate opportunity. It was something Parks and Rec knew they had to do but it was not a real high priority. Because of this homeless project, it became a priority.”