National Park Service Needs to Get Out of the Way of Development
The federal agency is an obstruction to economic progress on the Big Island.
I鈥檓 growing weary of the National Park Service鈥檚 repeated attempts聽to stop development in North Kona.
They鈥檝e held up three聽different projects that I鈥檓 aware of over the past 14 years. The NPS聽has intervened in the Kaloko Makai, Kaloko Industrial Park expansion聽(phases III and IV) and the second phase of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway聽widening.
The latter project was slated to start in 2011, but the National Park聽Service intervened and requested a Section 106 consultation. This opened
the door for other Native Hawaiian organizations to intervene. The net聽result of these delays is approximately 100 construction workers are on
the bench and a much-needed highway widening is stalled.
Kaloko Honokokau National Historical Park, Big Island
Screenshot
The National Park Service also intervened in TSA Corporation鈥檚 petition聽to reclassify 102 acres of land for the Kaloko Light Industrial Park
expansion. They did a case study titled 鈥淯sing State Laws And Regulations聽To Protect Parks From Adjacent Development鈥, which detailed their聽actions in this matter.
The TSA Corporation wasn鈥檛 able to start construction until mid 2007 due聽to the National Park鈥檚 intervention. However, the overall economy was聽sliding into the Great Recession at that time. These lots remain unsold聽to this day. The TSA Corporation never recouped their $43 million
investment as a result.
History is about to repeat itself on a more devastating scale if the state聽Commission on Water Resource Management approves the NPS鈥檚 petition to聽designate the Keauhou Aquifer as a water management area. The聽Department of Water Supply won鈥檛 be issuing new water meters until they聽can determine how much existing usage there is.
In addition, all new聽requests for water will have to go through a quasi-judicial contested聽case hearing. This isn鈥檛 a quick process, as various experts will be聽presenting聽 contradictory information during these proceedings.
The National Park Service actions will undoubtedly affect future聽economic growth in North Kona as a result. Their actions are not only
wasting taxpayer money, but also puts the residents on North Kona in聽harms way.
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