A large affordable housing proposal in Waikōloa Village will have to wait more than eight months for its next shot. The Hawaiʻi County Council voted unanimously Wednesday to postpone Bill 187, which would rezone land for the Waikōloa Green project, until July 7, 2027, Big Island Now reported.
The project
Bill 187 would amend the State Land Use Boundaries Map to let applicant Waikōloa Green build an affordable housing project with 400 apartments and 300 single-family homes, plus a clubhouse and related improvements, according to Big Island Now.
The property covers 711 acres of former Parker Ranch land on the southeast side of Pua Melia Street, about 810 feet south of its intersection with Waikōloa Road. The limited liability company bought the land in 2022 for $4 million from landowner Waikōloa Highlands.
Waikōloa Green is owned by New Jersey developer Daniel Popkin and Jon Yoshimura, a former state senator and Honolulu City Council member based on Oʻahu. At Wednesday's meeting in the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, the company asked for more time to keep working on concerns raised by the community, including water and road access. Council Member James Hustace then moved to postpone the bill, and the motion passed unanimously.
One way out
Opponents who testified focused on evacuation. Waikōloa Village currently has only one way out, plus one other evacuation route, Hulu Street, that is normally locked unless there is an emergency, Big Island Now reported.
The need for a second permanent road has become more pressing since the 2021 Mana Road fire forced the community to evacuate. In July, the county presented an evacuation study by KLD Associates to residents. According to Big Island Now, the 151-page study's "key finding" was that the existing roads are not enough to handle the number of evacuating vehicles in a timely way.
"We can support new development once there is a funded, scheduled commitment to a second arterial road, not another study on a shelf," said Arlene "Lani" Larrua, president of the Waikōloa Village Association.
Amendments on fire, water and flooding
Hustace pointed to several amendments made to Bill 187 to address residents' concerns:
- Wildfire: The development would have to achieve and maintain compliance with Firewise USA principles or an equivalent county-approved wildfire resilience plan.
- Water: A water conservation plan would aim to cut residential demand by at least 30% compared with typical new construction, with an emphasis on efficiency and alternative and non-potable water sources.
- Drainage: Conditions were strengthened to address issues in the South Kohala Flood Study, including upstream runoff and impacts on surrounding and downstream properties.
Hustace said broader infrastructure problems remain unresolved, especially the need for a second arterial road.
"The need for housing across our island is significant," he said. "Our responsibility is to find a balance between meeting those needs and carefully evaluating the impacts of future growth."
A warning about roads
Council Member Matt Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder backed the postponement but had a message for opponents. Building new roads also invites more development, he said. If a second road is built, "you no longer have your argument to lean on on why you shouldn't put more homes in Waikōloa."
Why it matters for contractors
A project with 400 apartments and 300 single-family homes would be a major job on Hawaiʻi Island, with years of work for site, utility, framing, roofing, plumbing, electrical and finish trades. For now, it's on hold until at least July 2027.
The conditions written into Bill 187 are also a preview of what builders should expect on similar projects in fire-prone areas. Firewise compliance can affect materials, landscaping, defensible space and building details. A target of cutting residential water demand by 30% points to high-efficiency fixtures, irrigation choices and possibly non-potable water systems. Stronger drainage conditions mean more civil and stormwater work.
The biggest takeaway may be the road. Larrua's position, that the community can support development once a second arterial road is funded and scheduled, suggests that road could become a prerequisite for new housing in Waikōloa Village. If that road gets funded, it would be a significant civil project in its own right, and it could unlock the housing work that follows.