Vote now on student design projects for Waimea parcel

LIHU‘E — The county Planning Department is inviting the community to vote for their favorite student design projects in the Waimea 400 Student Design Challenge, from now to May 14.

The purpose of the Waimea Student Design Challenge is to engage students in collaborative design and problem-solving as it relates to land-use planning.

Nine student teams from West Kaua‘i, in grades nine and 10, are competing in the challenge.

Students were asked to review information about the Waimea 400 project site online, to consider community preferences for future uses of the parcel, and to provide a conceptual plan for the site.

The community is being asked to pick the two plans they feel are the most innovative, considerate of site conditions and most fitting for the Waimea 400 site.

Voting is available at waimea400.com. In-person voting is available at the Waimea Public Library.

Ideas from the student projects will be integrated into the conceptual site-plan alternatives, which will be presented during the next round of virtual community meetings anticipated for June and July.

Updates on these meetings will be announced at a later date and posted on the project website, waimea400.com.

The Waimea 400 Master Plan pertains to a 417-acre parcel on the mauka side of Kaumuali‘i Highway, between Waimea and Kekaha, which the county purchased in 2018.