Leilani Community weighs three options to repair 5.5 miles of lava‑damaged roads, board survey to follow

The Leilani Community Association discussed three distinct funding options for repairing roughly 5.5 miles of roads damaged or buried in the 2018 eruption, with the board preparing a member survey to guide next steps.

Presenter (speaker 6) told the board that recent estimates put full paving at “approximately 1,000,000 per 0.75 mile of road,” adding that “we will need to raise approximately 7,500,000 to fully replace our roads if they are to be paved.” The board contrasted that with a cinder‑road option: COCO provided an estimate of about $960,000 to replace 6 miles of cinder roads, including surveying and permanent costs, which the presenter said would work out to about $500 per lot.

The association identified three survey choices to present to members: (1) rebuild paved roads with an assessment level to be determined; (2) rebuild cinder roads and assess a one‑time or multi‑year payment; or (3) do nothing and instead amend bylaws to account for reduced services to some lot owners. Board members noted that a $500 annual assessment per lot could complete a paving plan in roughly eight years under optimistic cost assumptions, but they cautioned that escalating construction prices could extend that timeline.

Board members also raised the governance and liability questions tied to road ownership and access. One committee member warned that leaving roads unrepaired could invite informal occupation of buyout lots and attendant sanitation and public‑safety problems, while another urged clarity about county ownership or easements before the association assumes long‑term obligations.

The association will circulate the nonbinding survey to members and use the results to set 2026 assessment proposals and priorities. The board did not adopt a resolution or formal assessment at the meeting; decisions will await member feedback and further cost verification.