MEDIA RELEASE

The Honokohau Village planning meeting runs Oct. 21-27 to develop a vision for transit-oriented development. The charrette is a “drop in when you can” community outreach for input experience.

Planning meetings for the 60-acre area mauka of the harbor, north of Kealakehe High School and adjacent to the West Hawaii Civic Center, will be at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa in the Mauna Kea Room.

Residents and community leaders, developers and builders, and county officials and staff will get to see how the Kona Community Development guidelines apply to a real project in a real place.

“By the time we’re finished, we’ll all know exactly what it means when we say ‘TOD’ and what the term implies for development in Kona,” said Margaret Masunaga, county deputy planning director.

TOD stands for Transit-Oriented Development, a neighborhood development approach encouraged under the Kona CDP.

The transit orientation comes into play when development can be designed to make the most of personal automobile travel, but also biking, walking and transit. A TOD maximizes the advantages of mobility choices so that people representing a wide range of ages, abilities, and incomes can share the advantages of living, working, and playing in a compact, walkable community.

“We’ll also use the charrette to set standards for Honokohau Village that will include building setbacks and heights, the width of streets and sidewalks, the mix of building types, allowable density ranges, and the placement of public parks and other open space,” Masunaga said. “The result will be a village design that encourages a true neighborhood atmosphere.”

For further information, call Alan Salavea or Margaret Matsunaga at  327-3510.

Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

VDG Customization: Technical Discussion

2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Opening Presentation and Visioning Talk Story

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

Focused Talk Story: Resource Management

10:30 a.m. – noon

Focused Talk Story: Economic Developm.ent

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Public Presentation: Calibration Talk Story

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009

Open House Hours

10:30 a.m. – noon

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Pin-Up and Talk Story

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009

Open House Hours

10:30 a.m. – noon

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Focused Talk Story: Resource Management

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

Open House Hours

1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Open House and Talk Story

6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

Aloha Presentation

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

— Find out more

www.honokohauvillage.com