Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

The plan is to put West Hawaii’s judiciary facilities under one roof. Where that building will be is still undetermined.

A couple dozen people got an update last week from Jeff Overton, principal and chief environmental planner with Group 70, the Honolulu-based consultant for the new judiciary complex.

Overton said the 140,000-square-foot facility is being planned for the long-term and will incorporate the family, drug, district and circuit courts, to facilitate seven full-time judges, support staff and agencies.

The site selection study and environmental impact statement are slated for completion by the end of 2011, he said, with a draft to be released in mid-2011.

Construction is at the least five years away and dependent on funding, Overton said. The total cost has yet to be estimated.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald will have final say on the preferred site and has indicated a new West Hawaii judiciary facility is a high priority.

The Judiciary currently owns and leases for its operations about 32,000 square feet of office and court space in West Hawaii.

The new complex will need at least 7-8 acres in a fairly central location, Overton said, and will be evaluated on three categories of criteria: Building requirements (utilities, access, environmental concerns); community compatibility; and costs.

Numerous sites have been identified as possibilities from Palani Road to beyond Kona International Airport. Some are privately owned; others are already state owned.

Margaret Masunaga, county deputy planner, said the county has no position on the site at this time, other than that it is consistent with the Kona Community Development Plan.

Attorney Mark Van Pernis said some of the sites were favored during a study done 16 years ago, when facilities already were regarded as grossly inadequate.

Van Pernis said Group 70 should avoid conflicts with private land owners, especially as the Honolulu consultants have working relationships with several.

He said he favored a central courthouse near the soon-to-be-complete West Hawaii Civic Center or on state Department of Hawaiian Homelands property.

The Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice was issued Nov. 8. The comment period on that notice is open until Dec. 8.

— Find out more:
Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice: http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/Environmental_Notice/Archives/2010s/2010-11-08.pdf
Group 70: www.group70int.com