Aerial Photographs
Maps showing property lines imposed on aerial photographs are available:
Introduction
The Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project will be designed using a portion of the $10 million that the County plans to spend on roadway improvements in the Waimea area. It is not clear at this point when it will be constructed. The following consultants will be involved:
Belt Collins will be the engineering consultant. Contact information is:
Jane Dewell, Project Environmental Scientist
Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd.
2153 North King Street, Suite 200
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 521-5361 FAX (808) 538-7819
jhdewell@beltcollins.com
Millie Kim will be the public participation consultant. For contact information, click here (scroll down).
The County Department of Public Works can be reached here.
What Do Existing Plans Say?
The Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project is called for by a number of local plans:
The February 2005 County General Plan ordinance includes the following specific course of action: "To relieve traffic congestion through Waimea town, implement construction of a) Parker Ranch’s connector road from Kamamalu Street to Mamalahoa Highway; and b) the County’s extension of this road, between Mamalahoa Highway and Kawaihae Road in the vicinity of the Waimea solid waste transfer station."
Amendments to the General Plan proposed in October, 2005, by Chris Yuen, Planning Director would remove the above course of action from the General Plan. This change would have the effect of removing from the law a requirement that an alternative route be provided around both of Waimea's choke points (the Lindsey Rd intersection choke point and the Mamalahoa Hwy choke point at the Hospital-Civic Center). It might also reduce the cost to Parker Ranch of building the east end of the Waimea Town Center Connector Road by about $2 million (because Parker Ranch would no longer be required by law to build a bridge over the drain channel it constructed) unless Parker Ranch were required to purchase from the State an easement through the Waimea Civic Center.
The 1986 Waimea Design Plan shows a connector road following the 80-ft easement along the northeast edge of the farm lots.
Self-Guided Tour
If you missed our guided tour, take this self-guided tour of possible roadway alignments:
Road Map - showing viewing stations on public property.
Road easement through Lalamilo Farm Lots - under the terms of the sale of the farm lots, the State may purchase the land within this easement back for the same price per square foot that the original owners purchased the property from the State. Land may only be used for the growing of truck and orchard crops or an incidental use if it is in direct support of furtherance of an agricultural use of the remainder of the land.
Lalamilo DHHL subdivision - map illustrates current 100-year flood zone through subdivision. Neither of the alignments on the above map cross DHHL land, although this option is being discussed with the DHHL. Note that construction of expensive addition bridges might be required for the connector road to connect to Kawaihae Rd west (makai) of Waiaka Bridge.
Project description in Hawaii County Year 2005 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Note that the description calls for a road that "will not be able to withstand heavy truck traffic."
Current Issues
The following issues have been mentioned related to the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project:
The Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project will connect with the Waimea Town Center Connector Road. (The Waimea Town Center Connector Road include a linear park, bikeway and pedestrian pathway and is planned to extend from the termination of the Lalamilo Connector Road at Mamalahoa Highway in the vicinity of the Vacuum Cooling Plant on the west to Kamamalu Road or Mamaholahoa Highway in the vicinity of the Waimea Civic Center on the east.) Is it feasible for the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project to include a linear park, bikeway and pedestrian pathway to connect the Waimea Trails and Greenways project to the Waimea Town Center linear park, bikeway and pedestrian pathway being constructed by Parker Ranch? Is it feasible for an equestrian trail be included to connect the Waimea Trails and Greenways project equestrian trail to the Waimea Town Center equestrian trail being constructed by Parker Ranch?
Regardless of the alignment that is selected, how will the safety of children playing along or walking or riding a bike to school along the road be ensured?
How can tourists be directed to dining and shopping opportunities down town at both ends of the connector road? How can they be directed to the Historic Homes?
Both before and after the Waimea Bypass is constructed but before the Kawaihae Bypass is constructed, how can trucks be routed around downtown and encouraged to use the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Road instead?
How can emergency vehicles be encouraged to use the connector roads to reach the hospital?
If the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project is built along the existing 80-foot wide easement, what sort of access should be provided to the Lalamilo Farm Road? Will traffic calming measures become needed in the Lalamilo Farm Lots neighborhood?
How will the road cross the Waikoloa stream flood zone? What impact will the crossing have on upstream (e.g., Sandalwood) and downstream (e.g., Waiaka and DHHL Lalamilo) developments, if any?
How will the road and trails connect to roads and trails that will directly provide access the planned 30+ acre regional park planned to be located the south of the Lalamilo Farm Lots and west of the land Parker Ranch donated to Parker School?
Should the Lalamilo portion of the connector road and the Waimea Town Center portion of the connector road have the same name? What should that name be?
The truck crops grown in the Lalamilo Farm Lots must be protected from dust. How can dust be controlled during construction and during use? What are the Government regulations regarding protection of crops from tire dust and how will they affect farm operations?
How can the roadway be screened from homes in the Sandalwood subdivision, in the new subdivision around Puopelu and in the Lalamilo Farm Lots neighborhood?
How can noise from truck acceleration and deceleration at intersections near residences be mitigated?
The Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Road may connect to Kawaihae Rd. through the same parcel of State land that has been leased by the Waimea Trails and Greenways project for use as a parking lot (which will accommodate horse trailers). How can conflicts between these uses be minimized?
How will the trail along Waikoloa stream cross the road?
Will it be feasible to preserve portions or all of the windbreak along the northeast border of the Lalamilo Farm Lots?
What are the design options for the intersection of the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Road and Mamalahoa Highway?
What are the design options for the intersection of the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Road and Kawaihae Road?
How will the connection with Kawaihae Road be coordinated with the Waiaka bridge and intersection replacement project? With the entrance to the Transfer Station? With the entrance to the new DHHL Lalamilo subdivision?
Would the presence of the road provide a retail sales opportunity for local farmers?
Public Meetings
SUBJECT:Mamalahoa Highway-Kawaihae Road Connector Project
Waimea (Kamuela), South Kohala, Island of Hawaii
DATE: Thursday, September 29, 2005
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: YMCA's Kahilu Town Hall, Kamuela, Hawaii
The County of Hawaii gave notice that they are preparing an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate alternatives for a connector road between Mamalahoa Highway and Kawaihae Road near the town of Waimea. The proposed connector road is intended to help alleviate traffic congestion in Waimea. A Public Information Meeting was conducted to provide the community with information on proposed alternative connector road alignments, and to receive comments on issues to be evaluated in the EA.
For more information about the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project, contact:
Galen Kuba
County of Hawaii Department of Public Works
101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7
Hilo, Hawaii 96720-4224
Phone: (808) 961-8327
Fax: 961-8630
E-mail: gkuba@co.hawaii.hi.us
To submit a comment about connector road alignment issues, contact:
Jane Dewell, Project Environmental Scientist
Belt Collins Hawaii Ltd.
2153 North King Street, Suite 200
Honolulu, HI 96819
(808) 521-5361 FAX (808) 538-7819
jhdewell@beltcollins.com
To download a mail-in public comment sheet, please click on the following link:
To view a summary of the comments made at the September 29, 2005 public meeting, please click on the following link:
The September 29, 2005 meeting was about alternative road alignments for the Mamalahoa Hwy-Kawaihae Rd Connector Project (due to time constraints). Please note that this meeting was not supposed to be about the larger question of how the $10 million should be spent. To learn how to express your opinion about that larger question, please follow this link.
Communications
The following communications have been received that identify issues to be considered in planning for the above projects:
If you are aware of other issues, please communicate them to us. We want everyone to be heard.
Learning Center
To learn more about the principles and practices available to address the issues mentioned above, click on the following links:
Streets and Sidewalks, People and Cars: The Citizens' Guide to Traffic Calming
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