MEDIA RELEASE

The county Department of Parks and Recreation and the Waimea Trails and Greenways Committee of the Waimea Preservation Association hosts a community meeting for Ke Ala Kahawai o Waimea (the stream trail of Waimea), Waimea Trails and Greenways.

The meeting is 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 at the Waimea Middle School cafeteria, 67-1229 Mamalahoa Highway.

Ke Ala Kahawai o Waimea will be a 4.8-mile long, multi-use path following the meandering route of Waikoloa Stream. The path will connect residences, businesses and schools, and extend from Church Row in Waimea Town to a future County park site on Kawaihae Road, across the Kamuela View Estates subdivision.

A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project has been completed and is available for review during a 30-day public comment period, through Feb. 21.

When the EA is complete, the County will be able to tap into various funding sources, including federal “transportation enhancement” funds, which are available for pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

Topics to be addressed at the meeting include the EA findings and status, project phasing, estimated trail cost, and potential funding sources.

Copies of the Draft EA are available at the Thelma Parker, North Kohala, Hilo and Kailua-Kona libraries, and may be downloaded from the Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC) website at http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html

For accessibility accommodations for the meeting or to request a sign language interpreter or printed materials in alternate format, contact theounty DPR at 961-8311.

For questions about the meeting or the Draft EA, contact Leslie Kurisaki, Kimura International, at (808) 944-8848 or lkurisaki@kimurainternational.com.