By COLIN M. STEWART
By COLIN M. STEWART
Tribune-Herald Staff Writer
Residents of the Hamakua District have been invited to weigh in on strategies under consideration for a 20-year development plan for the area.
Beginning today and running through Sunday, three separate workshops will offer an opportunity for residents to peruse the work that has so far been compiled by the Hamakua Community Development Planning (CDP) Committee. The group has been collecting input from the community since 2009, said project manager Christian Kay, a county planner.
“This is now toward the latter part of our process,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “We began by gathering information on what people love about the area and what they want to see for the future.”
So far, he said, about 15 percent of the area’s population, roughly 2,400 people, have been directly engaged in the planning process. The more input that is received from the community, the better, according to a flier on the CDP website.
“Everyone who cares about the future of Hamakua, its people, and communities should participate in the workshop,” it reads. “The strength of the CDP depends on broad community participation. The community’s voice, now more than ever, can help shape the future of the planning area by weighing in on the Plan’s proposed strategies and ideas. So bring your ohana, your neighbors and your keiki to plan for the future you want.”
The workshops will address topics such as land use, growth management, economic development, natural and cultural resources management, public access, and disaster readiness/community preparedness.
The strategies to be discussed in the workshops are collected in a 70-page booklet available on the Hamakua CDP website at www.hamakuacdp.info. Among them:
l Identify areas where growth should be directed
l Prioritize watersheds with outstanding or impaired streams
l Recognize the “living” history assets of the planning area
l Seek expanded jurisdiction or conservation easement for areas needing protection
l Provide technical support to access incentive programs for restoration
l Preserve Waipio Valley’s unique values through official recognition as a Wahi Pana, or celebrated traditional cultural place
l Prioritize the construction of the Waipio Valley Lookout Visitor Center
l Identify public lands of higher potential for public access use
l Prioritize county CIP funding and identify additional funding sources to repair or replace the Laupahoehoe Boat Ramp
l Revitalize towns to accommodate the needs of seniors and allow for aging in place
l Expand homeownership opportunities and include affordable rental options into town revitalization efforts
l Improve transportation options for school students
l Facilitate school access to county recreational facilities and personnel
l Determine feasibility to initiate Park-And-Rides, bus stops and a shuttle service
l Prepare emergency bypass road map
l Improve first responder services
l Help homeowners retrofit homes to mitigate potential damage from earthquakes or hurricanes
l Organize a community regional nonprofit
Once feedback is collected from residents this weekend, the resulting information will aid a steering committee of nine volunteers from the community to vote on a draft of the plan. Kay said he anticipates that will happen some time in the summer or early fall.
Then the plan would begin a seven- to eight-month adoption process, which would require going through the county’s planning commission, and then on to the County Council and ultimately to the mayor to be signed into ordinance.
Similar CDPs have been instituted in Puna, North Kohala, South Kohala, Kona and Ka‘u.
The workshops will be held:
l Today, 5-9 p.m., at North Hawaii Education & Research Center in Honokaa. Session will focus on Hamakua and North Hilo issues.
l Friday, 5-9 p.m., at Papaikou Gym. Session will focus on North Hilo and Rural South Hilo issues.
l Sunday, beginning at noon, at Laupahoehoe Point Gym. This session will report back on the previous sessions and will feature a celebration of the Hamakua community.
Meals will be served, and participants are encouraged to bring a dish to share.
For more information on the workshops and the Community Development Plan, visit www.hamakuacdp.info.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.