In a letter dated Sept. 28, 2018, Hawai‘i County Mayor Harry Kim expressed what he believes is the best plan for Pohoiki at this time.
The letter from Mayor Kim, written in response to concerns of Pāhoa Residents Josh and Laila Rena, stated the following:
Dear Josh and Laila Rena,
Thank you very much for your letters of Sept. 24, 2018, regarding future planning for Pohoiki in the recovery from the Lower East Rift Zone eruption. I share your love of the beauty of Pohoiki, and I want to make it a nice place for families and kids to play and enjoy the ocean again, too.
After the eruption, we lost our beaches and ocean access, and I agree with you both that we need to make it accessible to our community again. You should be aware that the boat ramp itself does not belong to the county; it’s under the jurisdiction of the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources. However, I believe that everyone concerned in state and county government agree that the lovely new sand should stay. I can tell you that we are actively exploring ways of developing differently from the past, because we made many mistakes in where and how we developed our communities.
I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me, and for wanting to make things better for our Island’s people.
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