Support for Palamanui
Support for Palamanui
The developer of the Palamanui project, which is home to the future Hawaii Community College at Palamanui, again is asking for concessions from Hawaii County. This time, they’re asking for a time extension to construct the University Drive Extension between the college campus and Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
In addition, they’re asking for relief from constructing a new mauka-makai roadway between the college and Mamalahoa Highway.
The developer(s) of this project have spent more than $20 million on infrastructure improvements for their project and the new college campus. I firmly believe they’ve gone above and beyond with their investment back into the community. This is why I think the county, the developer and the community need to work together to find a mutually agreeable solution to this issue. It would be a real loss for the community if Palamanui’s hand is forced and they have to suspend the project. Everyone would lose in this scenario.
Palamanui offered to contribute $3 million to start work on the next segment of the Ane Keohokalole Highway in lieu of construction of the new mauka-makai connector. The county could expedite the design and obtain the environmental clearances for this highway segment as a result.
I firmly believe extending Ane Keohokalole Highway will help with regional traffic circulation more than extending University Drive between the Mamalahoa Highway and the college campus.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
Cartoon ‘not funny’
Despicable is the word that best describes Saturday’s political cartoon (Tribune-Herald, Dec. 6).
In view are seven children who want nothing more from Santa this Christmas than protection and safety from the police.
What these innocent children do not know — but the left-leaning cartoon artist does know — is that without our brave police officers patrolling our streets this Christmas season, those children would not be safe and their parents would not be protected as they bring home their toys and bikes.
This Christmas, please thank a Hawaii County police officer for keeping you safe, and then go to page A5 and burn that cartoon. It is not funny.
Richard Dinges
Hilo