ADC Agrees to Million-Dollar Settlement, Anticipates Big Ask For Irrigation Funds
A decade ago, Environment Hawaiʻi published a story titled, “Water May Be Limiting Factor on Former Galbraith Ag Lands.” The subject: the limited water available to irrigate more than a thousand acres of land purchased by the state Agribusiness Development … Continued
Dam Dilemma Clouds Possible Purchase Of Critical Water Source for ADC Lands
“We’re trying to do big things,” state Agribusiness Development Corporation project manager Ken Nakamoto said recently, well aware of the detractors waiting in the wings. Last month, a consultant for the agency, Brown & Caldwell, unveiled details of a proposed … Continued
Myriad Concerns Stall Progress On Planned Holualoa Development
A housing development first proposed 40 years ago and into which the current owners are seeking to breathe new life faces a series of daunting challenges. There’s the uproar from the community over traffic impacts from the proposed 450-unit development. … Continued
Developer, County Push to Revive Entitlements for Kona Vistas Project
“Stale entitlements.” That’s the term that the Hawaiʻi County Planning Department uses to describe approvals given decades ago for a Holualoa development. The time for performance ran out and, with no requests made for time extensions, one might think that … Continued
Affordable Housing Requirements Still Unmet by Kona Vistas Developer
When the Land Use Commission approved the redistricting of the property to be developed by Kona Vistas, the very first condition concerned affordable housing. Condition A required 10 percent of the housing built on the property be “offered to residents … Continued
Handling of Burials at Holualoa Sites Reflects Changing Laws, Sensitivity
Archaeological studies going back decades have been undertaken on the area that is the site of the Kona Vistas project. Aside from the numerous pre-historic and historic sites documented, there have been several burial sites discovered. Over the last 40 … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Seabirds, Maui Water
Tori Lines and Tuna Fish: On October 16, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed a rule requiring almost all Hawaiʻi-based longline vessels targeting tuna in the Pacific Ocean north of 23 degrees N latitude to use tori streamers to scare … Continued
New Owner at Marconi Point Decimates Coastal Habitat for Native Bees, Birds
When resource managers caring for the native bee and seabird habitat on Oʻahu’s North Shore learned what was happening early last month, they spread the word as far and as wide as possible in hopes of keeping the damage from … Continued