West Hawaii Business Park developers are looking for a break from the road demands

West Hawaii Business Park developers want to build only a small portion of Kamanu Street, rather than the entire street, before developing 31 acre lot of 95 acre park for an unknown buyer.

The changes to the ordinance to rededicate the industrial park south of the Kaloko Light Industrial Park, where Costco is located, are due to be negotiated by the Leeward Planning Commission on Thursday. The planning department recommends approval of the change, which must also be submitted to the district council for a final decision.

A single buyer planning a single use for the entire property rather than dividing it into smaller lots means the entire Kamanu Street extension no longer needs to be built prior to development, said Riley Smith, President and CEO of Lanihau Properties .

In addition, Smith said, a 2.6 acre lot the developer is giving the county for a regional sewage pumping station could also trigger the need for road construction. The acceptance of the dedication certificate is currently pending at the district council.

“Since both properties are outside of the original development area, usage permits cannot be issued without triggering the completion of the entire Kamanu Street Extension over the Rezone area, which would be prohibitive for these uses,” he said.

Instead, the developers would build 450 feet of the planned 4,000 foot expansion of Kamanu Street to consecrable standards, including the provision of curb, gutter and sidewalks.

Upon completion, this section of Kamanu Street from the Mauka end of the project will be connected by the property to the southern endpoint of the Kanalani Street Extension currently under construction in the Makai portion of the property via a 6 meter private internal driveway.

Smith said the park developers are not asking to shirk responsibility for building Kamanu Street.

“We intend to build it. We have to build it before we can subdivide more lots, ”said Smith. “Before any of the other lots can be built, we have to build all of Kamanu.”

In 2004, the State Land Use Commission upgraded the West Hawaii Business Park site from conservation to urban. Months later, this was followed by an ordinance by the district council that rededicated the area for industrial use, as can be seen from documents submitted to the planning office. But that ordinance included the condition that, apart from a 10-acre portion of the property, the extension of Kamanu Street must be built before the property could be divided.

Unfinished Kamanu Street currently extends about 100 yards past its intersection with Honokohau Street and resumes about three quarters of a mile north, just above Costco. From there, continue north to Hina Lani Street.

A 2018 rezoning ordinance change increased how much land could be built – from 10 acres to 48.4 acres – before the construction of Kamanu Street became necessary.

The proposal did not change the actual footprint of the business park, just how much could be developed before the road-building requirement was triggered. It has also left the requirement to build Kamanu Street if anything is developed beyond the 48.4 acre area.

Email Nancy Cook Lauer at [email protected].