Written testimony due noon, Monday, September 14
Public hearing: Tuesday, September 15
Tell the Council:
No new homes until the infrastructure can support it.
Council needs to hear directly from the community. Submit testimony by noon on Monday, September 14th.
Waikōloa Green LLC is asking the County Council to rezone the land adjacent to the Village so it can be developed. Bill 186 changes the state land use designation from Agricultural to Urban for about 15 acres. Bill 187 rezones roughly 700 acres of the same parcel to allow a 400-unit apartment complex with a clubhouse, plus about 275 family-agricultural lots and a handful of larger agricultural lots, built in phases through 2045. On September 1, the Council heard nearly three hours of testimony and discussion on both Bills, ultimately deferring any vote until the next committee meeting on September 15.
We are not against housing. Waikōloa needs more homes, and especially affordable ones. The problem is that our infrastructure is not ready for this growth. The Village still has one road in and out for nearly 7,000 people. In a wildfire, firefighters rely on a water system whose reliability during emergencies is still an open question at the Public Utilities Commission, and our children at Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School depend on that same single road, with no buses on site during the school day.
We are asking Council to withhold approval until there are real, funded commitments, with a timeline, for the infrastructure that keeps residents safe during a wildfire. That begins with the second access road the County itself named a priority. It also means confirming that the water system can fight a fire during an emergency and that our children can get out safely, before the Village grows further.
Issue Overview:
Mana Road Fire, August 2021. Photo courtesy of Hawai‘i DLNR.
Talking Points
Pick two or three and put them in your own words
Waikōloa Village has one dedicated road in and out for nearly 7,000 residents.
We support housing, including affordable housing. We are asking for infrastructure to be funded and committed to first, not just promised or called a wishlist item.
The County's own South Kohala Community Development Plan named a second access road a very high priority. Eighteen years later, nothing has been built. (Source)
The Planning Department's own recommendation states that urban growth should occur where adequate infrastructure "either exists or can reasonably be provided." For evacuation, that test is not met here.
The 2021 Mana fire evacuation produced hour-long delays when our population was smaller.
The state Attorney General's Lāhainā investigation rated Waikōloa's wildfire risk at 100 percent higher than any other place in the country, even higher than Lāhainā before its fire. (Source)
Firefighters depend on a reliable water supply during a wildfire. We raised the reliability of that supply during emergencies with the Public Utilities Commission, and it remains an open issue in the state's ongoing Act 258 rulemaking. (Source)
The Council should assess whether the water system can meet firefighting demand during an emergency across all development planned for the Waimea Aquifer, not just this project.
Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School has no buses on site during the school day, so in a wildfire emergency, students depend on the same single road as everyone else to evacuate.
Testimony Template - Ready to Use
We’ve put together a testimony template for you to use. You can easily copy the testimony below, paste it into an email, add a sentence or two in your own words, and send it. That's it.
Aloha Councilmembers,
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a [resident of / parent in / visitor to] Waikōloa Village.
I am writing in opposition to Bills 186 and 187. I am not opposed to housing. Waikōloa needs more homes, including affordable homes. I am asking you to withhold approval until the County has funded, scheduled commitments for the infrastructure that keeps residents safe during a wildfire, starting with a second access road.
Waikōloa Village has one road in and out for nearly 7,000 residents. The County's 2008 Community Development Plan named a second access road a very high priority. During the 2021 Mana fire evacuation, residents sat in traffic for over an hour just to reach Waikōloa Road, and our population was smaller then. The state Attorney General's Lāhainā investigation rated Waikōloa's wildfire risk higher than any other place in the country. Adding hundreds of homes before a second road exists puts current and future residents in danger.
Water supply during a fire is part of the same concern. When wildfire threatens the Village, firefighters depend on a water system that can deliver when it matters most. We have raised the reliability of that supply during emergencies with the Public Utilities Commission, and it remains an open question there in the ongoing Act 258 rulemaking. Before approving more growth, the Council should examine whether the water system can meet firefighting demand during an emergency across all of the development planned for the Waimea Aquifer, not this project alone.
The same risk reaches our children. Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School has no buses on site during the school day, so in a fast-moving fire, students depend on the same single road as everyone else. The County's Community Development Plan recognized the need for a second school as the Village grows, yet it named the second road a community priority even before a second school. The road has to come first.
Please do not approve Bills 186 and 187 until these infrastructure needs are met with real commitments, funding, and a timeline, not just plans. Housing and safe infrastructure should move forward together.
Mahalo nui,
[Your name]
[Your address or town]
4 Ways to Submit Testimony
1. Email (fastest! Takes 3 minutes)
Send written testimony to counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov by noon on Monday, September 14. Use the template provided or write your own. Every email goes into the permanent record. You can email testimony AND testify in person.
2. Video Testimony via Zoom
Pre-register by noon on Monday, September 14, by emailing councilremotetestimony@hawaiicounty.gov or calling (808) 961-8255.
You'll get login info to speak directly at the Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions Committee Meeting. Hard MAX of 3 minutes of oral testimony.
3. In Person (Most Impactful!)
Show up Tuesday, September 15, at the Hawaiʻi County Building, Council Chambers, 25 Aupuni Street in Hilo. Being in the room shows the Council how urgent this is. After registering, you will be given 3 minutes to read your testimony to Council.
4. Video Testimony (Waimea Option)
If you can’t make the drive to Hilo, you can offer remote video testimony at the Waimea District 9 Council Office located at 65-1279 Kawaihae Road, Suite 109, Kamuela, HI 96743
FAQs
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No. Waikoloa needs more affordable housing. Our concern with this new development is that our infrastructure is already overburdened, and this project will add hundreds of new residents before roads, water, and schools can support them.
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Some of it may be, and we welcome that. It does not change the capacity problem. A household that cannot evacuate safely, or that has no water or school seat, is not made safer by the price of the home. We support affordability and safe infrastructure together.
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Testimony should request that Council withhold approval of Bills 186 and 187 until there are funded, binding commitments for the infrastructure that keeps residents safe during a wildfire, starting with the dedicated, two-lane second access road.
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Yes, on September 1st, Council deferred a vote on these bills to September 15. Deferral is not denial. This is the window for our community to make their concerns heard before the Council votes.
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Both come back to wildfire safety. Firefighting depends on a water system that holds up in an emergency, an issue we have raised with the Public Utilities Commission and that remains open in the state's Act 258 rulemaking. And students at Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School depend on that same single road during a fire, with no buses on site during the school day. We leave the broader questions about water resources and school capacity to the organizations with direct expertise there.
Ready to submit by email?
Send your written testimony by noon on Monday, September 14.