Holualoa Village has lost the only public parking lot, located in the center of the historic town, after new owners blocked access and community organizers are looking for a solution.
DJL Properties out of California purchased the lot along with the Kona Hotel, Holuakoa Gardens Restaurant (renamed Holualoa Kitchen) and two other properties in 2021 and recently blocked parking access to the public. In six months, they bought $5.4 million in property in the heart of Holualoa.
Antu Harvey, executive director, Pulama ia Kona Heritage Council is disturbed by the new owner’s actions and the ramifications it may have on the town’s small businesses as well as safety concerns.
“The big stakeholders are the community, the landowners and the mayor. There’s not a lot we can do without county support. We are so disappointed that going forward the county doesn’t have the priority to identify and acquire land for parking rights for future transit systems before everything is bought up and developed,” she said.
The adjoining “upper lot” was proposed for a PONC purchase to use as a safe routes to schools pathway, however it never came to fruition.
Harvey said Larry Smith, who owned the parking lot, was trying to sell it to the county for 10 years.
“The county had been leasing the property from Smith for all of those years. He indicated he would sell the property if the county didn’t buy it. The county had no interest in buying the parcel,” she said. “Without any parking, how do you envision Holualoa surviving? It seemed very unfortunate this mayor would turn his back on this area. It’s an existential issue for the walking village. There is no parking. It isn’t just that we don’t have a public parking lot, businesses don’t have their own off street parking.”
Most of the buildings in the corridor were built in the 1920’s, some as far back as the 1800’s when nobody had vehicles and street parking is nearly nonexistent.
Since 2021, DJL principal Kelly Lawrence has refused invitations to sit down with Pulama ia Kona or the Holualoa Village Ohana.
“She was gracious enough for the last two years to allow the public to use that parcel, but we did hear she was planning on opening the restaurant and when she did, she would be cordoning off the parking lot for her customers.”
The lot was blocked by boulders the last week of October, but opened for the Kona Coffee Festival Holualoa Stroll and remained open as of press time Thursday.
“This parking situation has been gradually brewing since World War II, by the county and civic leaders not looking forward has painted us in a corner,” she said.
Within the two block core, there are 16 retail businesses, two hotels and one short term vacation rental, one restaurant and three take away food establishments. There is also the general store Post Office, Imin Center and the elementary school.
Kona Imin Community Center has 30 parking spaces but they are not available on a daily basis.
Harvey said possible solutions to the parking situation are opening Imin Center daily for parking or grade undeveloped quarter of the school lot which would add 100 spaces.
Councilperson Rebecca Villegas who represents the district said she approached the mayor inquiring how the county could purchase the property so the town keeps public parking parking, perhaps using highway funds and turn it into a bus hub so people can park and ride from Holualoa to town.
“In early 2020, the newly appointed Director of Public Works said no to the opportunity,” she said.
A Move On online petition addressed to Mayor Mitch Roth requesting the county purchase the property has 882 signatures.
West Hawaii Today was unable to contact Lawrence or DJL properties and the mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.