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Draft Maku‘u regional plan emphasizes safety, halau, agriculture and water governance
Summary
Planners presented a draft update to the Maku‘u regional plan that centers lessee priorities such as homestead safety (including unexploded ordnance concerns), a community halau, agricultural infrastructure and alternative financing for lava‑zone areas.
Acting planning program manager Lily Maka'ila presented a draft update to the Maku‘u regional plan and described a compressed outreach schedule that began in June and concluded with a final beneficiary consultation on Sept. 4. She said the draft will remain open for comment through the end of the month and that staff plan to return to the commission in October with a final plan for adoption.
Maka'ila said beneficiaries reframed the traditional “community values” section as a Kahua — foundational elements — and identified kahua values such as aloha, kupuna stewardship and community capacity building. In polling of priority projects, beneficiaries ranked safety and security first; planners noted this included concerns about unexploded ordnance (UXO) on former military training land and limited law‑enforcement capacity in rural Puna.
Other top priorities were a halau initiative to enclose and improve an existing farmers-market site, agricultural supports including shared equipment and processing capacity, alternative financing for dwellings in areas now classified as lava zone 2, and water‑system governance. Maka'ila said some beneficiaries requested opportunities to operate and be trained as water purveyors and to explore alternative measures where county sewer or groundwater connections are not feasible.
Maka'ila recommended tailored wording in the plan to reflect community preferences, to pursue grant funding aligned with project priorities and to consider technical training for local water operations.
Ending: Planning staff said they will collect public comments on the draft through the end of September and present a final draft for commission action in October.
