LIHUE — The American Planning Association’s Hawaii Chapter recognized members of three local organizations for their part in establishing the Holo Holo Scenic Byway on Kauai’s South Shore. The Poipu Beach Resort Association, Hui Malama O Koloa and Kailua-Kona-based planning
LIHUE — The American Planning Association’s Hawaii Chapter recognized members of three local organizations for their part in establishing the Holo Holo Scenic Byway on Kauai’s South Shore.
The Poipu Beach Resort Association, Hui Malama O Koloa and Kailua-Kona-based planning firm Hookuleana LLC, were among five communities, private organizations, public agencies and professional planning and design firms honored for their work throughout the state by the American Planning Association’s Hawaii chapter.
The detailed plan created by the group, the Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan, was awarded the association’s “community-based planning” award for “the qualities and resources important to the byway and … identifying the capital investments, economic benefits management measures and funding resources necessary.”
“This region is rich with history and its various points of interest tell the stories of Hawaii’s people and its evolving socio-economic past,” APA-Hawaii Chapter officials wrote in a statement Wednesday. “Along the corridor are significant historic, archeological, cultural, natural, recreational and scenic intrinsic qualities.”
Hui Malama O Koloa Director Ted Blake, a longtime Koloa resident, said the award represents years of hard work by local residents, community groups and planners to preserve and honor the area’s image and rich cultural history — now marked by a total of 167 “intrinsic qualities.”
“It’s a great thing,” Blake said. “It was a lot of work but we put our heads down and worked hard at it.”
Hookuleana LLC President Peter Young said the award itself is appropriate because of the many partnerships formed over the years.
“It really was a lot of effort from the community in helping to develop that plan and move the project forward,” Young said.
The byway, according to state Department of Transportation maps, begins at the tree tunnel portion of Maluhia Road and snakes through the towns of Koloa, Poipu and Kukuiula along parts of Ala Kinoiki, Poipu, Lawai and Hoonani Roads before looping around to Maluhia Road.
Efforts to earn the scenic byway designation for the 19-mile stretch of road date back to early 2011, when a mixture of community groups and local residents began compiling information together for an application for a scenic byway designation through the state Department of Transportation’s Hawaii Scenic Byways Program.
The program, according to the Department of Transportation’s website, recognizes roads “that have an important story to tell to both local residents and visitors” through their archaeological, cultural, historic, national, recreational and scenic qualities.
To date, there are four designated byways in the state.
The Holo Holo Koloa Scenic Byway was officially recognized and designated as a “Hawaii Scenic Byway” by the state Department of Transportation in December 2011.
In May 2012, the Local Scenic Byway Committee, Hui Malama O Koloa, Hookuleana LLC, and Koloa Community Association were presented a 2012 Historic Preservation Commendation by the Historic Hawaii Foundation for the joint community effort that resulted in the Holo Holo Scenic Byway designation.
