Hawaiʻi County Council · Bills 186 and 187
What's being planned next to Waikōloa Village?
A 716-acre development called Waikoloa Green is asking the County to rezone land along Waikōloa Road. Here is what's proposed, what neighbors have raised about water, the land, and safety, and how to have your say.
Full County Council vote, 9:00 AM
West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, Kailua-Kona. Written testimony is due by noon on Tuesday, October 20.
Water
Waikōloa, Waimea, and Kawaihae all draw from the Waimea aquifer, the smallest on the island. The state sets a limit on how much can be pumped from it each day without harming the source.
How much of the aquifer's daily limit is spoken for
- About 90% is already pumped (14.35 of 16 million gallons a day, as of April 2026). At the 90% mark (dashed line), state water law allows the Water Commission to step in and regulate the aquifer.
- Projects already approved would add more than 125,000 gallons a day.
- Waikoloa Green now estimates about 362,000 gallons a day at full buildout, down from an earlier 1.29 million.
- Other proposals in the pipeline, such as full buildout of Nani Kai, would add more than 1 million gallons a day.
That leaves very little room for droughts, for future families, or for fighting a large fire. The developer has not shown how this project avoids pushing the aquifer to its limit.
The land and its history
No environmental assessment has been completed for a project of this size. Trails traced from historic maps cross the site, and the community has not yet seen a full study of what is there before land is cleared.
Getting out during a wildfire
Waikōloa Village is about 2 miles from end to end and depends on a limited set of roads to get everyone out. A County Civil Defense evacuation study estimates it would take about 3 hours and 45 minutes to clear the Village in a typical scenario.
Fire speed compared with evacuation time
Adding hundreds of homes before a dedicated second road is built means more cars trying to leave on the same routes.
Where things stand
- September 1Council committee hears nearly three hours of public testimony and defers a decision.
- September 15Council committee discusses the proposal for nearly two hours and defers a decision.
- October 6The committee recommends against both bills. They move to the full Council with that recommendation.
- October 21Full Council vote at 9:00 AM. Votes can still change, and the Council takes public testimony beforehand.
How to share your views
Whatever your view, the Council wants to hear from the people these decisions affect. A few sentences in your own words about who you are and what matters to you is enough.
In writing
Email counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov by noon on Tuesday, October 20. Put "Bills 186 and 187" in the subject line.
By Zoom
Register by noon on Tuesday, October 20 by emailing councilremotetestimony@hawaiicounty.gov or calling (808) 961-8255.
In person
Wednesday, October 21, 9:00 AM. West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, Building A, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona.
Pass it on
Know someone in Waikōloa, Waimea, or Kawaihae who would want to know about this?
This page is shared by Wildfire Safety Advocates of Waikōloa, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) working for safe evacuation routes in Waikōloa Village. WSA has testified in opposition to Bills 186 and 187. Questions: contact@wildfiresafetyadvocates.org
Sources
- Waikoloa Green Project Wins Favor With County, But Water Issues Loom, Environment Hawaiʻi, August 2026. Aquifer limit, current pumping, and approved and proposed projects.
- Council committee postpones vote on Waikoloa development, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, September 2026. Bills 186 and 187 and the revised water estimate.
- Waikoloa Evacuation Traffic Study, KLD Associates for Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, 2026. Evacuation time estimate.
- Lahaina Fire Comprehensive Timeline Report, Fire Safety Research Institute for the Hawaiʻi Attorney General. Fire spread.
- Maps: applicant's traffic study, Figure 3.1; historic trail overlay from public testimony.