can anyone tell me about Kau

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

In terms of distance from major amenities, Kaʻū is the "Waiʻanae" of the Big Island. The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' "Kaʻū Regional Plan" from 2012 provides some background and historical information. Here's a link…
http://dhhl.hawaii.gov/wp-content/up...n-May-2012.pdf

Very interesting. Thanks for posting that.

From just a quick scan, here are a couple of interesting things I already learned from it...

Page 9
Ka‘ü is the largest district of Hawai‘i island. It was the starting point for many journeys to other Pacific islands. It is likely that Ka‘ü was the first place settled by Polynesians in all of Hawai‘i. The National Historic Landmarks Program identifies the South Point Complex as the location of earliest record of occupation at 124 AD

Page 13
Area
Ka‘ü is the largest moku within the County of Hawai‘i with over 660,000 acres. As a result of its remote location from the primary employment centers of Hilo and Kona, and the large percentage of land designated for conservation, the population has remained relatively small.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Very interesting. Thanks for posting that.

From just a quick scan, here are a couple of interesting things I already learned from it...

Always glad to be of assistance.

I wonder if anyone remembers the brouhaha over the revived "Sea Mountain" project in Kaʻū from several years ago?
New push for resort project in Ka'u -- The Honolulu Advertiser
Council moves to block Kau hotel project

The draft "environmental impact statement" (EIS) submitted by the developer ("Sea Mountain Five, LLC") provides even more interesting information about Kaʻū…
http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20...IN-PUNALUU.pdf

…as well as the comments about the draft EIS by "Kaʻu Preservation" and the "Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation"…
http://www.savepunaluu.org/docs/comments/frankel.pdf

[Jungjohann]

I was going to build a house for a buddy of mine in HOVE when all that came up. The 'Ka'u Riviera' or something like that. Would bring jobs to Ka'u, all kinds of supposed 'benefits'. At what cost?

Aloha

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I posted something once saying how happy I was to see a new restaurant going into a vacant commercial building in Ocean View. This building had been there for many years, was located in a commercial area with other businesses, and had previously been a restaurant. I got a tongue lashing from a "local" who was complaining about all the "new" development that was springing up everywhere and taking away agricultural land from the native peoples. Just shows that people will complain about anything happening, even something that gives jobs to people who otherwise have to commute two hours each way.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

I got a tongue lashing from a "local" who was complaining about all the "new" development that was springing up everywhere and taking away agricultural land from the native peoples. Just shows that people will complain about anything happening, even something that gives jobs to people who otherwise have to commute two hours each way.

Obviously that person's complaint was running on autopilot, not even considering that reviving a vacant building with a new business wasn't "taking away agricultural land" from anyone.

One of the surprises for me from looking at the Ka'u Plan that JonahK posted was the map on page 11, showing the largest landowners in Ka'u. Number 1 is Hawaiian Homelands property, and Kamehameha Schools is the largest non-governmental owner. It appears to me that property held by private individuals is perhaps the smallest slice of the pie.

In any case, yes, there are some people who will complain about anything that involves changing anything. Oh well!

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by OpenD

One of the surprises for me from looking at the Ka'u Plan that JonahK posted was the map on page 11, showing the largest landowners in Ka'u. Number 1 is Hawaiian Homelands property, and Kamehameha Schools is the largest non-governmental owner. It appears to me that property held by private individuals is perhaps the smallest slice of the pie.

That map only covers Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) parcels near Ka Lae (South Point), Waiʻōhinu, Wailau, and Discovery Harbor. If you look at page 12, you'll see that the the DHHL has approximately 11,312 acres of land in Kaʻū. So while it's a relatively large landholder, it's significantly less than the 67,357 acres held by the Kamehameha Schools in Kaʻū. There are reasons why the DHHL and the Kamehameha Schools ended up with those particular parcels, but such a discussion probably belongs in the "Politics and Other Controversies" or "History" forum.