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Laʻipāpa community group urges DHHL to build boat storage, presses for solar and water-project updates
Summary
Representatives of Live Laʻipāpa Community Development Corporation told the Hawaiian Homes Commission they want a dedicated boat-storage facility at Honokāhā Harbor, and pressed the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for updates on a stalled solar project and a water-development agreement that could unlock hundreds of home water credits.
Henry Ho (spelled in transcript as Henry Hook) Jr., speaking for Live Laʻipāpa Community Development Corporation, urged the Hawaiian Homes Commission and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to support construction of a boat storage facility on DHHL land at Honokāhā Harbor and asked the department to follow up on other stalled projects affecting beneficiaries.
“Quite a few of our homesteaders have boats…our DCCRs…prohibit the parking of boats on our property,” said Henry Ho Jr., introducing a map of DHHL’s roughly 200-acre holding at Honokāhā and a conceptual nine‑acre site he said would serve beneficiaries’ needs. He told commissioners existing commercial boat parking offsite is “expensive” and “at full capacity.”
Ho also asked the department for a status update on a photovoltaic project in Kalaʻoa that he said Nexamp (transcript: Nexant/Nexamp) was to build and that, in his view, has not delivered promised reductions in energy costs or community-benefit funding. “We lost the bid,” he said of an earlier beneficiary-led effort; “nothing has happened,” he said of the winning bidder’s community benefits.
On preschool funding, Ho said a change in which state office manages a pool of facilities money — from the lieutenant governor’s office to the State Facilities Administration — means prior indications that $8 million might be available are no longer in hand and LCDC must seek other funding. “It doesn’t mean that we can’t build this. Just means that we gotta go find the money,” he said.
Ho closed by pressing the commission to prioritize a water-development contract for the Hololoa–Nakona project, saying a closing expected at month’s end could produce roughly 800 water credits and enable the construction of about 800 homes in Kona. He summarized the relationship between credits and development as: “1 household, 1 credit per household…400 gallons per household per day.”
Commissioners did not vote on any of Ho’s requests during public testimony. Commissioner Dennis Neves thanked Ho for bringing “solutions” and for offering to provide a business plan for the proposed boat facility.
Ending: Ho said LCDC will continue to advocate for the projects and provide additional materials to DHHL; commissioners asked staff to note his requests for follow-up.
