Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Council, planners spar over investing in Hilo and Kona amid tsunami, lava and wildfire risk
Summary
Councilmembers pressed planners on an apparent tension in the draft general plan between encouraging investment in urban centers and discouraging infrastructure investment in high‑risk hazard areas. Planners said the plan includes hazard mitigation policies and implementation tools but requires community dialogue and follow‑on work (zoning, CDPs,
HILO/KONA — A sustained exchange at Hawaii County’s Sept. 23 special committee hearing focused on the tradeoffs between directing investment to established urban centers and avoiding infrastructure expansion in areas at high natural‑hazard risk.
Councilmember Kaguya raised a central question about downtown Hilo and Kona: how can the county support commercial and downtown areas while discouraging public investment that would increase density in high‑risk tsunami and flood zones? “They seem incompatible to me,” Kaguya said during the land‑use discussion.
Planners pointed to explicit language in the draft general plan addressing hazards and mitigation. Bethany Morrison said Objective 12 seeks to “reduce the threat to life and property from natural hazards and disasters” and cited Policy 12.7 to incorporate hazard mitigation strategies…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
