Hawaiʻi County reaches agreement with landowner to prevent eminent domain for widening of a Puna road

The Hawaiʻi County Council postponed a vote Wednesday on whether to authorize the use of eminent domain for a project to widen a rural road in Puna after being told by the Department of Public Works that an agreement had been reached last week with the landowner.

The council was scheduled to vote on Resolution 567-26, which would authorize the condemnation of 3.74 acres of land owned by Lum Family Enterprises to widen Government Beach Road in Puna for public safety.

Wayland Lum said he and his family had been working with Mayor Mitch Roth’s administration and the Public Works Department to find a solution regarding the land acquisition.

“We were very close to resolving this before the transition to the Mayor Kimo Alameda administration,” Lum said during the last hearing on June 18. “I did not realize that this had suddenly become a legal issue of eminent domain until I read it in the paper.”

Due to this prior agreement, the Hawaiʻi County Council voted at the June 18 meeting to postpone the vote until Aug. 5 to give all parties time to reach an understanding.

“We met with Mayor Kimo Alameda and Managing Director Bill Brilhante and ironed out the situation over two weeks ago,” Lum said. “Then, about a week ago, we met with Alameda and Public Works Director Neil Azevedo and walked the entirety of Government Beach Road from Kapoho to Hilo side and came to an agreement about the road.”

Azevedo did not disclose details of the pending agreement.

Azevedo attended the Hawaiʻi County Council meeting on Wednesday and asked for one more extension so the Public Works Department can finalize the agreement and Corporation Counsel can approve it.

Azevedo said he would have a better idea of when to schedule the final hearing in about two weeks since there will need to be one more meeting with the Lum family.

“It has been very satisfactory to work with the county to find a viable solution for everyone,” Lum said. “I’m thankful that both sides could come together to make it happen.”