Taking Stock of the Status of Punaluʻu

By Kainoahemolele Tabar

Over 200 people have already taken the County of Hawaiʻi Punaluʻu Survey published by Hawaii County Councilmember Michelle Galimba, and more are being sought as the conversation over Punaluʻu carries on.

In the introduction to the survey, Punaluʻu is said to be a “wahi pana of Kaʻū: the beach and surrounding area is rich in history and natural beauty, and beloved by generations of residents.”

“We have this cycle in Punaluʻu … nothing happens,” Galimba said. “It’s painful to see conflict in the community,” Galimba said, citing the buildings that are decaying and unsafe. “All of those things have to be addressed, and ‘leave it alone’ isn’t going to solve it.”

Galimba wants to be the new impetus of a discussion that may fairly be said to have raged on for decades now. “It’s my attempt to begin a community conversation,” she said.

Galimba posed a series of seven questions in the anonymous online questionnaire. Among the questions asked in the survey are whether the survey taker lives in Kaʻū, how often they spend time at Punaluʻu, and what they do most often when they visit Punaluʻu. The survey also asks people what they would like to see happen at Punaluʻu, offering up suggestions such as: “No changes at all,” “Address existing facilities — buildings, park pavilions, tennis courts, etc. — repair, renovate, re-use or remove, as feasible or appropriate,” and “Protect beach, marine, and coastal habitats.”

The goal of the survey is “to gather the Kaʻū community’s manaʻo on the present and future of Punaluʻu.”

Once results from the survey are gathered and compiled, they will be put up on a Website, Galimba said. 

The Website address is still to be determined, however, Galimba said she hopes the results will restart a conversation over the Punaluʻu aspect of the Ka‘ū Community Development Plan, which requires a special plan for Punaluʻu.

The survey can be found online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/CXZYRGS.