![]() ![]() Public Works Director Steve Pause said the county and the developer of an 867-acre subdivision called Nana Kai that’s under construction are negotiating either extending Paniolo Avenue down to the highway or building a new mauka-to-makai road to the highway. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023)Ī road extension would not only alleviate traffic but it would provide another emergency outlet in the event of a wildfire or other natural disaster. The construction of a shopping center and apartments in Waikoloa has created traffic snarls and highlighted the need for a road extension to connect it to the highway. With multiple housing developments under construction and a new shopping center set to have a grand opening on July 22, residents are pushing for a new road that would extend Paniolo Avenue to Queen Kaahumanu highway along the coast. Paniolo Avenue is the only road leading in or out of the village, giving Waikoloa the feel of a giant cul-de-sac. Roads are another issue that dominates conversations in Waikoloa. The irrigation system there will be fixed or replaced with $1 million from the developer of a new subdivision across from park, he added. He promised that Waikoloa’s parks will be fixed, and a new dog park will be created at Kamakoa Nui. The parks maintenance and repair budget increased to $3.9 million from $425,000, he said. In the new county budget released on July 1, park funding grew significantly. Messina acknowledged that seeing the park in its current condition broke his heart, but he also had some good news for residents. Kamakoa Nui Park in Waikoloa has had a broken irrigation system for years. The irrigation system has been broken for years. ![]() “That’s the purpose of these town hall meetings: to hold the county accountable,” he said.Īnother park with dried up grass and no playground equipment, called Kamakoa Nui, is also a sore point with residents. Messina said he was glad residents spoke up. Gathered at a picnic table at Puu Nui park, the officials hashed out a timeline to have the playground reopen by this time next year. ![]() Longtime Waikoloa resident Julia Alos said she was disappointed that Messina didn’t say when the park will be fixed.Īttempting to nail down a date from the county was like “trying to nail Jell-O to a tree,” Alos said in an interview.īut on a morning several days after the town hall, Messina and staffers returned to meet with residents. But we also have 300 facilities through the island,” Messina said at the meeting. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long and I’m not trying to make excuses. The equipment can’t be installed until the county has signed off on a design and engineering plan that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now we’re in summer two with no playground for our kids to play in,” Beverly Brand told Maurice Messina, the county parks director.īrand and other Waikoloa residents raised nearly $200,000 for playground equipment that has been sitting in a shipping container on the grounds of Puu Nui park for months. “We didn’t ask you for anything except to help us make a playground for our children. Mayor Mitch Roth addressed the community in a town hall meeting in Waikoloa in June, as other county officials listened. ![]()
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