KAPA‘A — Last Thursday, a crowd of approximately 50 people who live in the surrounding area attended a special meeting organized by state Rep. Nadine Nakamura at Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital’s auditorium to discuss the new master plan for the 34-acre Mahelona campus.
In the near future, there are plans for a senior day care center, assisted-living center, preschool, an expansion to the psychiatric center, a new medical building for Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i, a restaurant, a pharmacy, affordable housing, more state housing, relocation of the Kapa‘a Public Library, a new police station and much more.
The grounds will be upgraded for a community playground for such things as to exercise, practice tai chi, yoga, meditate or enjoy a beautiful sunrise.
Some of those attending voiced support for the project, while others oppose it.
For more information and details on the project, see https://www.planmahelona.com/.
The following information is from planmahelona.com:
SMMH is updating its master plan to incorporate community needs and desires for the area, and greater integration of the adjacent state parcels, from the boardwalk at the bottom of Kawaihau Road to Kapa‘a High School.
In 2019, the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation embarked on a master-planning process to envision the future potential for SMMH and 34-acre campus to serve the community into the future.
The purpose of the project is to assess the current state of the hospital and determine improvements needed to address current and future health-service needs and to determine options for better use of the state property to provide needed affordable housing, community services and other uses, including those with revenue-generating potential.
The resulting SMMH Conceptual Master Plan was completed by G70 in 2020.
Although the SMMH Conceptual Master Plan was recently completed, HHSC is updating the master plan to consider greater integration of adjacent state lands and community needs, and is seeking broader community input on achieving the vision for a wellness-village concept that is integrated in transit-oriented development.
HHSC has hired the planning, design and landscape architecture firm PBR Hawai‘i &Associates to assist in developing the updated master plan that incorporates the community’s needs and desires for the area as well as the unique characteristics of the campus and surrounding area.
Over the course of the project, the team is seeking community input and feedback.
At last week’s meeting, everyone received bento.
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James “Kimo” Rosen is a Kapa‘a resident who writes and photographs periodically for The Garden Island. The Garden Island contributed to this report.
