The property line between Palamanui and state land earmarked for the new Hawaii Community College campus. (Hawaii247 photo by Karin Stanton)

UPDATED, 12:35 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2: Reports from the council’s Planning Committee meeting  indicate Palamanui’s request for changes to zoning conditions – which are detailed in two bills –  passed and will be added to the full Council agenda. The requests still need to pass two readings at the Council level.

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Karin Stanton/Hawaii247 Contributing Editor

A request to change Palamanui’s zoning conditions is before the council’s Planning Committee today.

The issue to expected to be discussed at the 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting in Kona. It already has the approval of the Leeward Planning Commission, but still needs the nod from the Planning Committee and then the full council.

The developers are asking to delay construction of a mauka-makai connector road and public park, while moving ahead with construction of two state-of-the-art, energy efficient buildings for Hawaii Community College.

Palamanui project planner Roger Harris said the economy and market have changed significantly since the project broke ground in 2007, which means the developers – like many businesses and families – have to make some tough choices.

The area for the commercial center adjacent to the college campus already has been graded. (Hawaii247 photo by Karin Stanton)

While the regional mauka-makai road will be needed, the greater immediate need is to build the community college campus, Harris said.

“When you analyze your dollars and where you are going to spend them, sometimes you have to make hard choices,” Harris said. “We want to spend the $23 million to get Phase I done. We definitely are trying to make changes, but not eliminate anything.”

Palamanui is seeking to defer building the regional mauka-makai connector and spend the available funds on the Hawaii Community College campus, a retail center and infrastructure, Harris said. 

Obtaining rights-of-way for the proposed route of the connector road will take time, Harris said, and the developer wants to get started on the campus, which is excepted to open in the fall of 2011.

The revised timeline would require the road be built within six years of securing rights-of-way through state and private land.

With 22,000 square feet, the campus will substantially increase the space available for West Hawaii’s secondary education and will initially house the culinary and nursing students, as well general studies classes and administrative offices.

“This whole thing has been going on so long, nobody will believe it until they see it,” Harris said. 

Along with permission to move ahead with the campus and accompanying infrastructure – access roads, water, sewer – Palamanui wants to get started on an adjacent commercial center.

“We think there is some commercial interest,” Harris said, which will help drive the rest of the project ahead.

The existing zoning requirement that ties commercial development phasing to residential development will not work in the current economic environment.

“Condition N requires Palamanui construct one dwelling unit for every 600 square feet of commercial space,” according to the Palamanui Web site. 

“With the weak demand for residential real estate right now, there is a greater opportunity for Palamanui to capitalize on the interest of commercial clients (including a major grocery store) in today’s real estate market. The current zoning restriction hampers Palamanui’s ability to generate the revenue needed to offset substantial infrastructure costs for Hawaii Community College and the development’s trade and town centers.”

The developers are not seeking to back out of any commitments, Harris said.

“We want to defer the park. That helps us,” he said. “It’s not to get out of it, just push the front money back (to begin the college campus). It’ll be a nice regional park when we are done.”

Palamanui is not asking for to change in the 800-foot setback from Queen Kaahumanu Highway.

Mayor Billy Kenoi said he understands that choices have to be made in such economic times and supports Palamanui’s commitment to the campus.

“Anytime we can move forward with education for our youth, we should try to make it work,” he said. “I’d like to see the campus as soon as possible.”

The 725-acre development is about one mile north of the airport off Queen Kaahumanu Highway. To the south is a 500-acre plot earmarked for Hawaii Community College.

Palamanui, which broke ground in August 2007, is being developed by Palamanui, LLC, a partnership between Kona-based developer and contractor Guy Lam, U.S. developer Hunt Development Group and financier Charles Schwab.

— Find out more:

www.palamanui.com

 

(Photo courtesy Palamanui)