A proposed interactive miniature golf course, nursery and park-and-ride facility in Kilauea took a major step forward on Tuesday at the Mo‘ikeha Building. The county Planning Commission unanimously approved the zoning permits for the project with some conditions. Anaina Hou,
A proposed interactive miniature golf course, nursery and park-and-ride facility in Kilauea took a major step forward on Tuesday at the Mo‘ikeha Building.
The county Planning Commission unanimously approved the zoning permits for the project with some conditions.
Anaina Hou, which means “a new gathering,” cannot grow or sell invasive plants at its nursery and is to avoid using potable water where possible.
“These were actions we were planning to take on our own,” Kilauea resident Michael Kaplan, who has been working on the project the past two years, said yesterday. “We’re looking forward to making this a reality.”
The next step is securing the building permits for the agricultural and recreational center, which will sit on 15 acres northwest of the Kuhio Highway and Kolo Road intersection.
“We hope to be constructing by the summer,” Kaplan said. “We also would like to start planning the second phase with the outdoor amphitheater.”
Planning Commission Chair Steven Weinstein said his main concern was crossing Kuhio Highway to get there, but he said he understands a permanent traffic light is to be installed where the temporary one is located.
The goal is to create an “agro-communal space” where adults and children can come together to learn about and engage in ecological sustainability and cultural awareness, county documents show.
The miniature golf course will be 18 holes weaving through water features and botanical gardens, county documents show.
The course will have a Hawaiian heritage theme, showcasing the history of the islands and its flora. Placards numbering the holes will provide descriptions of the Hawaiian Islands, from its volcanic origins, to Polynesian discovery, to the missionary movement, Pearl Harbor, statehood, and on up to the present, the report states. The history of Kaua‘i, particularly Kilauea’s plantation heritage, will also be included.
Surrounding each hole will be a botanical garden showcasing each respective era. Rare and endangered species are proposed to be a part of the gardens, which are also intended to screen the course from outside disturbances such as highway noise.
The garden nursery will feature a variety of traditional landscaping and ornamental crops. It will supply small-scale residential inquiries and purchases as well as larger commercial bulk orders. Rental space will be available to local farmers, according to the report.
The park-and-ride facility, to be located right along the highway, will include 14 parking stalls and a covered bus stop for residents to park their cars and take the Kaua‘i Bus around the island.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com
