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Anti-Hokulia crowd isn’t
interested in solutions

The meeting notice at Konawaena School June 26 invited all who "support" the Hokulia project stalled by anti-development activists. It was a quest for positive dialog instead of endless negativism from activists, who of course showed up in force, got the microphone, unleashed a diatribe as their followers cheered, then rudely jeered folks with constructive ideas.

The anti-development activists allege conspiracy between Hawaii County and landowners and other fantasies, including claims that Hokulia and development in general are responsible for Kona's homeless, substance-abuse problems and other problems. The activists try to divide the community with inflammatory fabrication, misinformation and a lawsuit attacking the county for approving development of the Hokulia project.

Hokulia, a billion-dollar project, spent many millions relying on county approval, including building a major public highway. Many innocent purchasers bought lots at Hokulia to build homes on and participate in an agricultural use program. All is stopped at Hokulia and the new highway. The lawsuit and shutdown resulted in anti-business repercussions for Kona nationwide. Imagine buying a lot for $1 million, starting to build a home on it and then being told that you can't finish building the home or live in it -- but of course you must still make your mortgage payments on it. Other anti-development strategies have stalled community public works projects, and recently the county lost millions in federal highway fund contributions as a result. The activists don't seem to care about the community, just stopping development.

The anti-development activists say Hokulia should have asked the state to change its land-use designation from agricultural to urban, even though the county already gave Hokulia approval to develop one-acre ag-sized lots and Hokulia agreed to create new ag activity on its land. Don't activists realize that if the designation was changed from ag to urban there would be no ag use incentive for Hokulia or its lot owners and the lots would likely be smaller than the one-acre-minimum allowed in any ag zone? The Hokulia project was approved under an ag designation ensuring at least some agricultural activity. Respected Kona rancher William Paris testified how marginal and nonproductive the land was before Hokulia. The public never had good access to the land or shoreline. Hokulia's project includes a beautiful oceanfront public park and facilities where none existed before. Yes, Hokulia has golf and much open space. It's beautiful, idyllic compared to its former dry, rocky, barren terrain. It's a good neighbor and asset to the community.

Hawaii did experience unchecked development in the 1950s and '60s but since then has had increasingly responsible county planners overseeing zoning/development approvals. No system is perfect and not all development is bad. Hawaii County would be insolvent today if responsible ranchers had not sold marginal ag land to good developers along the Kona/Kohala coast. Proceeds from such land sales helped enhance and diversify family ranching operations. Hawaii's ranching and farming industries have been in decline for years, unable to compete with labor costs and product prices worldwide. The hope is to improve and preserve these industries. Kudos to ranchers who have sacrificed much to do so while maintaining some control over the future use of the marginal ag lands they sell.

We've seen thousands of jobs created, millions of dollars generated to benefit county and community from development of marginal ag lands that formerly produced almost nothing; and water/access improvements have greatly enhanced the use-potential of thousands of acres of other private, state and Hawaiian Homes ag lands. Development can and should be win-win for everyone.

We should be focusing on positive ways to support responsible use of marginal ag lands instead of yielding to activists who condemn development and now seem to be trying to turn Hawaii back to a dark age. The people of Kona, Hawaii County and the state of Hawaii deserve better.

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