More to the story
The state Department of Transportation canceled work on the Saddle Road Extension EIS roughly a month ago. West Hawaii Today reported this was due to lack of funding to complete the EIS. However, I received an email from DOT that was sent to the Saddle Road Task Force members stating “it was determined that continued preparation of the EIS is no longer feasible due to the adverse effects related to archaeological and historical resources and the estimated right-of-way and construction costs.”
I find this statement very troubling. The department was full stream ahead to have record of decision/EIS finalized by late 2021, which was mentioned on the STIP in January 2021. There was a red flag that popped a few months ago when I found out they needed to obtain a Section 4(f) clearance, but I was assured everything was still on track.
Then about a month ago, I found out the department had decided to cancel further work on the EIS. I can understand their reasoning on financial grounds. The project has to be fully funded before a EIS record of decision can be issued. The latter is up in the air due to the pandemic affecting the car rental surcharge revenue.
There is some loose ends that are still bothering me though. The department intends to seek FHWA grants to fund the SRX project, but that doesn’t make any sense since the project can’t proceed without a completed EIS and record of decision.
The elephant in the room remains though. That larger issue is the unknown archaeological issues that played a role in this decision, as alluded to in the email to the SRTF members above. Bear in mind, the department was working full steam ahead on finalizing the EIS by the end of 2021, but instead made a full U-turn and canceled the project instead.
I hope state DOT publicly discloses the unknown archaeological issues with this highway project.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
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That’s business
Did I read that right, we fired Mark Van Pernis from our Planning Commission because he hurt someone’s feelings? Really so what, that’s business.
Of course, we all want to be polite and all but to be nice all the time would be just to much to bear. Obviously there are some nice all the time peeps, I know one, maybe two, but not me.
Now I’m serious here, how many guys would get upset and sorta cry at a commission meeting to get your way? And then force this “nice issue” when things went south? Not many I bet, too embarrassing and not how business is done.
This seems like a reverse sexist issue here, if not a set up. Why’s the “Hilo guy” weighing in on this anyway? What’s the other story WHT? Nice, why nice, why not direct and to the point? No, means no! And it was the correct assessment. This is a big mistake, for decades I lived on Kona coffee farms in peace and tranquility, then a neighbor became a wedding venue, and with rigorous honesty I can say, “It sucks big time!”
Why do we need this in our neighborhoods? Sound carries forever in the mauka nights disturbing everyone including school kids and old residents a like.
You can hear the music, the toast, oh the drunken toast, on and on and then the “Hokey Pokey” followed by a loud talking car parade. How is this pono? Maybe the council could get a “little tougher skin” the next time this comes around. I’m not sure being nice works when you have to combat this kind of selfish behavior.
Now get back to work. I hope that was nice enough.
David O. Baldwin
Kona
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