HILO, Hawaii (AP) - A Hawaii County Council committee has supported a proposal to turn nearly an acre of private property in Hawi into a community park.
The grass lot in the town on the northern edge of Kohala has been a community gathering place for years, Hawi residents told the council’s finance committee, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald (https://bit.ly/1eWVMy4) reported.
Private citizens own the lot near the intersection of Akoni Pule Highway and Hawi Road. But David and Shelly Lucas of Holualoa said they’re happy to sell the land to the county for the benefit of Hawi residents and scratch their development plans.
“It became clear to us that it really is the town park,” David Lucas said.
County property manager Ken Van Bergen says the purchase price would be determined by a third-party appraisal. The county last assessed the lot at $515,900.
The full council would need to approve the land purchase for it to go forward. The money to buy the property would come from the county’s Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation fund.
Several people testifying in support of the purchase said they want to protect the banyan trees next to the park.
Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille said the county could seek to buy neighboring properties with the trees in the future.
___
Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/
Please read our comment policy before commenting.