Hawaii County Council approves pilot allowing limited vending on a section of Anekio Kaʻōlelo Highway after debate

The Hawaii County Council voted to approve Bill 10, draft 2, on second and final reading on March 19, 2025, allowing authorized commercial activity on a roughly 200-yard section of Ane Ke Kaʻōlelo Highway makai of the West Hawaii Civic Center between the Civic Center and Allied Quarry Access Road. The vote followed public testimony opposing the change and lengthy council discussion about safety, community input and permit conditions.

Supporters framed the measure as a controlled pilot to provide legal space for vendors who currently operate illegally along county roadways. Vice Chair Amy Onishi, who presided over much of the debate while Chair Inaba yielded the gavel, described the plan as "a pilot program because there is no place for them to go legally." She said Public Works will install safety barriers and signage and that the director may revoke permits "should safety issues of any type arise."

Opponents, including Laura Mallory Sayre of the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation and her husband Frank Sayre, urged the council to protect the exercise corridor and its decades-long community work. "I come before you…