South Kona paniolo should see about $3 million in improvements to the Honaunau Rodeo Arena by this time next year, as the county begins sprucing up the old arena to better serve the public.
The county plans to improve vehicular access and circulation, add a new pavilion for community use, improve and expand spectator seating, improve the restrooms and make the facility compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“It’s definitely improving the arena grounds,” Lino Kamakau, an officer with the Kona Roping Club, said Monday. “We’re looking forward to it.”
The Kona Roping Club is the biggest user of the facility, hosting an annual rodeo Kamakau estimated attracts as many as 275 contestants and an equal number of spectators. The addition of the 2,260-square-foot pavilion will expand the use of the facility for gatherings and parties, he said.
“It’s an exciting project,” said Jason Armstrong, spokesman for the county Department of Parks and Recreation.
Armstrong said the improvements are similar to those recently done at the Honokaa rodeo arena. In addition, gates will be reconfigured to allow public access to a public drinking water spigot that currently often is out of reach to the public.
The 6-acre property is located on Honaunau Road near Ke Ala O Keawe Road.
Approximately 41 new paved general parking spaces and nine new paved ADA parking stalls will supplement the existing informal parking areas. The existing assemblage of multiple individual wood and aluminum bleacher units will be replaced with a new, comprehensive, eight-tier aluminum bleacher system with space for more than 500 seats, including eight ADA wheel chair spaces and eight companion spaces, according to the plan.
The county anticipates a Finding of No Significant Impact in a draft environmental assessment released Thursday. The public can comment until Nov. 9 on the report, located at http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/EA_and_EIS_Online_Library/Hawaii/2010s/2015-10-08-HA-5B-DEA-Honaunau-Rodeo-Arena-Improvements.pdf.
Comments should be sent to County of Hawaii, Department of Parks and Recreation, 101 Pauahi St., Suite 6, Hilo, HI 96720 or to consultant Geometrician Associates, P.O. Box 396, Hilo, HI 96721.
No impacts are anticipated to any biological or water resources. Archaeological sites consist only of cattle walls that continuously have been modified through time and minimally will be impacted, the report says.
Mitigation includes timing of clearing to avoid impacts to listed vertebrate species, best management practices during construction to avoid erosion and sedimentation, consultation with the state Department of Health concerning the need for a community noise control permit during construction, a dust control plan and precautionary conditions related to inadvertent finds of cultural materials.
Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.
