Waikīkī - Kauhale O Hoʻokipa

We are happy to announce that the Hawaiʻi State legislature just adopted a concurrent resolution (passed by the Senate and the House) in support of Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association's (NaHHA,) hard work and efforts as the sponsor for the Waikīkī - Kauhale O Hoʻokipa Scenic Byway.

The Legislature notes that "Waikīkī - Kauhale O Hoʻokipa Scenic Byway is a collaborative effort between the community, business, visitor industry and government to promote and share the special intrinsic qualities of Waikīkī, particularly the role Waikīkī played in Hawaiʻi’s history".

In addition, the Legislature took a strong, affirmative position that it "supports the designation of the Waikīkī - Kauhale O Hoʻokipa as a Hawaiʻi Scenic Byway and National Scenic Byway."

The Hawaii Scenic Byways Program identifies and recognizes:
•  roads that “tell a story” that is special;
•  roads with outstanding scenic, cultural, recreational, archaeological, natural and historic qualities; and
•  roads that will benefit from a coordinated strategy for tourism and economic development

The Scenic Byways program serves to identify "Intrinsic Qualities" along the corridor; these include Scenic, Natural, Historic, Cultural, Archaeological and Recreational.

These intrinsic qualities break into two clusters:
"Land" (Scenic, Natural and Recreational,) and
"People" (Historic, Cultural and Archaeological)

Sites and Stories of Waikīkī, as illustrated through its Intrinsic Qualities, help tell the stories of the Land (‘Āina) and its People from the earliest beginnings of Hawai‘i to today.  Waikīkī - Kauhale O Hoʻokipa will be incorporating several core story themes:
•  Royal Residences
•  Visitor Industry
•  Military
•  Natural/Geologic
•  Socio-Economic-Political
•  Side Trips

We have been retained by NaHHA to help them with this process.

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Hō‘ea Agricultural Park Master Plan Wins Sustainability Award

We are proud and honored that the American Planning Association – Hawaiʻi Chapter awarded Hoʻokuleana LLC with the “Innovation in Sustaining Places” for our preparation of the Master Plan for the Hō‘ea Agricultural Park.

In issuing the award, "The APA Awards Jury felt the plan incorporates innovative concepts in agricultural park planning, especially in terms of the layout and design of the facility which includes the reuse of resources and farming best practices. They found the plan transferable to other facilities in the County."

"The careful, systematic review of relevant state and local policies as well as plans for the area helps to facilitate implementation of this innovative project."

"The inclusion of specific management strategies and actions to support the project mission and goals also helps to increase project success. The research on Hawaiian values as well as coverage of topics such as permaculture, public health and local economic development makes this plan comprehensive, ambitious and worthy of recognition."

This is the third year in a row that we received an APA-Hawaiʻi award.  Last year we received the “Environment – Preservation” award for the Corridor Management Plan for the Scenic Byway on Aliʻi Drive in Kona and the year before we received the “Environment – Preservation” award for the ʻĀina Mauna Legacy Program forest and habitat restoration.

Hō‘ea Ag Park is a proposed private agricultural park situated at ʻUpolu Point in North Kohala on the island of Hawaiʻi.  The core of the agricultural park is 450‐acres of actively farmed fee simple privately‐owned property.

In addition to the conventional land use layout, we included specific management and operational recommendations in the Master Plan. These were made to help assure that food will be the focus, goals/commitments are being addressed and tenants are on track to fulfill the mission and vision.

In a sense, the Ag Park management philosophy views the overall Agricultural Park more like an integrated farm, rather than an assemblage of independent, individual farms.

The context in which the Master Plan was prepared, particularly in relation to the overall Agricultural Park management strategy, addresses strong and recurring themes of Tradition, Sustainability, Integrated Holistic Approach, Long‐term Timeframe, Cooperation and Collaboration, Diversity of Foods and Economic Viability – melding Hawaiian traditional wisdom with modern sustainability concepts.

Rather than the typical Agricultural Park where Park management passively collects the rent, our recommendations suggest Hō‘ea management is actively involved, making sure goals/commitments are being addressed and tenants/collaborators are on track to fulfill the Park’s mission and vision.  These include:

• Identify needs, seek farmers/operators to fill those needs
• Provide support facilities (water, storage, processing, marketing, distribution, etc)
• Make capital investments – cost recovery can be made through amortization of costs into lease rents
• Prepare farmers for Best Farming Practices – set operational and production standards, adhering to resource protection measures
• Grow a set of new farmers ‐ support education programs (all aspects of farming and crop innovation, etc; but not just farming, include economics, business planning, financing, etc)
• Conduct research and development, adapt and change
• Be actively engaged in marketing, on behalf of the agricultural park, in general, and the respective individual farm operations/products
• Integrate sustainable agriculture, natural/cultural resource stewardship and public education
• Lead, but learn from others
• Be more than just an agricultural park, be a destination, incubator of ideas and model for others to follow

The vision of the Hō`ea Agricultural Park is the development and management of the agricultural park as a diversified, collaborative, sustainable system that provides land access and farming opportunities for multiple small farmers whose production, marketing and education activities support local food availability, that is economically viable, environmentally sound and provides value for all participants – the North Kohala community, farmers and Hawai`i County residents.

More specifically, the following highlight some of the recommendations in the Master Plan that focus on successful and sustainable (economically, socially and environmentally) practices within the Agricultural Park (these enhance revenue opportunities, as well as reduce the cost of operation – in all cases, seeking multiple benefits from each action:)

• Focus is on Farming, and Food specifically, not ornamental or other agricultural uses
• Diversity of Food (Grown and produced in the Agricultural Park)
• On‐Park Farm Stand (Selling products grown/produced in the Agricultural Park)
• On‐Park Farm Cafe (Preparing and selling products grown/produced in the Agricultural Park)
• Marketing Coordinated by the Agricultural Park – replacing wholesaler (this provides cost savings and benefits that are passed on to the farmer and allows farmer to focus on farming)
• Diverse Marketing Strategies (Farm‐to programs, subscriptions, local outlets, neighboring resorts, etc)
• Waste Reuse (Waste from one farm fills a need on another (green waste; fish/animal feed components, etc); aquaponics using nutrient rich fish water to produce vegetable crops)
• Pasture‐Raised cattle, pig and chicken (Feed supplemented from range)
• Water Reuse (Aquaponics to maximize production with minimal water; taro lo‘i water flows into irrigation system)
• Slaughter/Processing (Value added, cost savings passed on to the farmer)
• No Single‐family Homes on Farms (Focus is on farming and growing food for the community, not housing or homesteads)
• Worker Housing Facility (Assist farmers by providing on‐Park worker housing, with cost recovery to the Agricultural Park)
• Slaughter Facilities (Keeping investment at appropriate scale and provides flexibility for use by others)
• Agricultural Park Investment in Infrastructure (Reduces farmer investment at entry level, cost recovery to Agricultural Park built into lease rent payments)
• Agricultural Park Investment in Shared Equipment (Seek maximum utilization of equipment; allow small farmer to use (for a fee) rather than purchase)
• Best Farming Practices (Protects and enhances the soil; prevents run‐off out of Agricultural Park)
• Soil Replenishment (Through Composting/Beneficial, Effective and Indigenous Microorganisms)
• Renewable Energy Sources (Multiple sources of electrical power through hydroelectric, solar and wind)
• Adaptive Reuse of Sugar Plantation Infrastructure (Road systems, water systems, etc)
• Windbreaks Protect the Land (but also add to the food output - sugar, bamboo shoots, etc – forming a linear orchard, linear pasture)
• Outreach, Research and Education (Farmers can learn the latest opportunities, the community is included in the educational programs, etc)

Ultimately, this is demonstrated by fulfilling the goal of: Food from Kohala for Kohala.

More information on Hoʻokuleana LLC can be found at www.Hookuleana.com.

If you feel inclined, you may also “Like” us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hookuleana-LLC/106303469479281

Holo Holo Kōloa Scenic Byway – Wins Historic Preservation Commendation from Historic Hawaii Foundation

We are proud and honored that the Local Scenic Byway Committee, Mālama Kōloa, Kōloa Community Association, Poʻipū Beach Resort Association and Hoʻokuleana LLC were awarded the 2012 Historic Preservation Commendation for the Holo Holo Kōloa Scenic Byway project from the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation.

Holo Holo Kōloa Scenic Byway is situated on the South Shore of the island of Kauaʻi (in the Old Kōloa Town, running down and through the Poʻipū Beach resort area - out through Māhāʻulepu.)

Here, there are many scenic, natural and recreational qualities that travelers along the Byway may experience and enjoy.  Along the coastal area of Poʻipū there are popular beaches for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, scuba or sunset watching. 

But the focus of interest along the Holo Holo Kōloa corridor is the region‘s history and the role this area played in helping to shape Hawaiʻi‘s socio-economic past, present and future.

As noted in Carol Wilcox’s book, The Kauaʻi Album, “The history of Kōloa is in many ways Hawai‘i’s history in microcosm.”

Holo Holo Kōloa gives the traveler a look at the historic and socio-economic evolution of the Hawaiian Islands.  Here many "firsts" took place that ultimately guided this transformation.

This is a corridor with many stories to tell, under the backdrop of its impressive scenic beauty.

Last year, the State Department of Transportation designated Holo Holo Kōloa as a State Scenic Byway.

We assisted in the designation process and are now working with the community in preparing the Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for the project.

The CMP is prepared to address issues related to management of the corridor, but, more importantly, is used to submit the application to Federal Highways for National designation.

State and National Scenic Byways designations recognize roads that exhibit one or more six core intrinsic qualities - scenic, natural, historic, recreational, archaeological or cultural - contributing towards a unique travel experience.

Overall, the Scenic Byways Program is for:

• roads that tell a special story;
• roads with outstanding intrinsic qualities that need recognition or protection; and
• roads that will benefit from a coordinated strategy for tourism and economic development

 There are over 20 primary Points of Interest along the corridor, including Tree Tunnel, Kōloa Sugar Monument, Old Kōloa Town, Kōloa Sugar Mill, several Churches, National Tropical Botanical Garden, various Puʻu and Bays.

Archaeological and Historic sites include Kāneiolouma, Kōloa Field System, Luahinealapiʻi (Hapa Road,) Prince Kuhio Park/Hoʻia Heiau, Kihahouna Heiau, Makauwahi Cave, Waiʻōpili Heiau and Keolewa Heiau.

This is our second Scenic Byway and Corridor Management Plan assignment.  We previously prepared the Plan for Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast, on Ali’i Drive on the Big Island (the first CMP to be approved in the State.)

We are also very proud of that project; Royal Footsteps received several awards, including Historic Preservation Commendation from Historic Hawaii Foundation; Environment/Preservation award from the American Planning Association-Hawai‘i Chapter; and Pualu Award for Culture and Heritage from the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce.

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing some of the highlights on some of the Point of Interest sites that are included in the Scenic Byway.