Hawaii County will move forward with the purchase of two important West Hawaii natural and cultural sites, thanks to action last week by the County Council.
The council, in separate 9-0 votes, approved resolutions authorizing the administration to purchase a .78-acre Alii Drive parcel containing a historic home, and a 220-acre old-growth ohia property in Waiohe, South Kona.
Both properties have willing sellers, council members were informed. The next step is for the county administration to negotiate purchase contracts.
The forest property is located between two parcels of conservation land in the South Kona Forest Reserve and is considered one of the best intact stands of healthy old growth ohia in the state, with 80-inch trees estimated between 600-800 years old. It’s the native habitat for numerous endemic plant and animal species such as the hoary bat and Hawaiian hawk. In addition, it’s a priority 1 watershed area for the Department of Land and Natural Resources, as the ohia trees feed the watershed that is considered to be interconnected with offshore waters and fishery in South Kona.
“I think this is a really great opportunity for a public access open space purchase. … It’s in South Kona in my neck of the woods, a very, very beautiful area,” said South Kona/Ka‘u Councilwoman Maile David. “I’m actually really, really pleased. As much as we’ve been talking about expanding our ability to purchase open space, that we expand it to our watershed areas, I think this is a very great, great first step in that direction.”
The property is priority 15 on the county Public Access Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission 2021 list.
Coming in at No. 16 on the PONC list is a small but important parcel on Holualoa Bay adjacent to Lyman’s, a popular surfing spot along Alii Drive. The property includes the historic Lyman House cottage built in the 1950s, with a stone saltwater swimming pool. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and plans are to repair and restore the existing structures for use as the Kakala O Kamoa Cultural Center.
“There is a house on it at this time and old saltwater pools at the front of it. It’s located in a very culturally rich area with just incredible resources and assets,” said Kona Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas, who sponsored the resolution. “I think it’s a very exciting opportunity for the space off Alii Drive where we have a shortage of shoreline pieces of property that are allowed for public access.”