A concurrent resolution has been introduced by the state Senate and House to convene a working group to develop a comprehensive plan for the 179-acre Keahole Agricultural Park located at the bottom of Kaiminani Drive in Kailua-Kona.
The park, originally conceptualized in 1972, was completed in 1982 and is home to 34 farm lots producing a variety of crops.
The resolution urges the Department of Agriculture to form an inter-governmental Kona Area Agricultural Working Group to help navigate opportunities of agriculture, affordable housing, and economic development consisting of members of relevant county departments and agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for the area.
The resolution was introduced by Sens. Mike Gabbard (D-Oahu), who is Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee chairperson, and Gilbert Keith-Agaran (D-Maui) with a companion resolution in the House introduced by Nicole Lowen (D-North Kona).
Kona resident Rick Gaffney spearheaded the resolutions, reaching out to legislators with his vision for the park and how to begin the conversation.
“For too long, the many agencies that can only hope to solve our bigger issues by communicating, have not been talking to each other,” he said. “My hope for the resolutions was to get all the agencies that could deliver win-win solutions, at the same table (or Zoom chat) working together.”
He said his vision is to utilize the ag park, and the hundreds of acres of surrounding agricultural-zoned lands, to their fullest possible extent, which will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the community.
The working group would be made up of one member of the Senate, one member of the House of Representatives and one representative each from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, Hawaii Community College, Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management and Department of Water Supply.
The group is requested to develop a framework to improve communication to increase efficiency and strengthen partnerships between Hawaii County, the agriculture industry, landowners, and the Big Island community. It will look for ways to increase profitability of Hawaii Island’s agricultural businesses through cost reduction strategies and greater market share for local products.
Using treated water from the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment plant could provide adequate and affordable agricultural water for farmers, livestock producers, and food processors at the Keahole Agricultural park and NELHA while reducing discharges of wastewater. The resolution also calls for nutrient-rich waste products produced by NELHA to be mixed with the county’s abundant green waste to produce a nitrogen-rich and valuable compost for agricultural park farmers.
“It is a win-win for NELHA as it gets them more involved in our community,” Gaffney said. “It gets them to deal with their waste management issues; it contributes to their workforce needs; and it reminds the community of what an important asset NELHA is.”
The resolution also asks the working group to facilitate practical, applied research that will assist farmers in crop and livestock production using sustainable techniques. It also seeks to establish the Big Island as a center for tropical agricultural research and promote investment opportunities in areas in the federal Opportunity Zone designation and maximize on realizing federal infrastructure development.
Because of its close proximity to Hawaii Community College — Palamanui, the park could increase the availability and quality of agricultural education on the island, as well.
The Department of Hawaiian Homelands owns 600 acres in the area. The working group would address secure affordable land with long-term tenure for farming and ranching and allow for the production of residential units on that DHHL land.
Gabbard plans on scheduling SCR46 for a hearing on Friday before the Senate Agriculture and Environment Committee.
“If the COVID crisis has taught us anything, it is that we need to imagine a new paradigm for Hawaii, we can’t continue down our previous path,” Gaffney said.