KOLOA — Joyce Packard will celebrate her 80th birthday on July 10 and said notification of when she can move into the Pa‘anau Village Phase 2 unit is one of the best birthday presents she could get. Packard was assisted
KOLOA — Joyce Packard will celebrate her 80th birthday on July 10 and said notification of when she can move into the Pa‘anau Village Phase 2 unit is one of the best birthday presents she could get.
Packard was assisted by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., Kaua‘i County Council Chair Jay Furfaro, Dennis Nakahara of the Kaua‘i Housing Development Corp., Mark Chandler of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in untying the symbolic maile lei at the grand opening and blessing of the housing units Thursday in Koloa.
“I haven’t gotten word on when I can move in,” Packard said, while helping herself to the lunch offering provided by Mark’s Place and Contemporary Flavors following the blessing officiated by Lady Ipo Kahaunaele-Ferreira of Ke Akua Mana Church. “My birthday is coming up and finding out when I can move in would be one of the best birthday presents.”
The blessing and grand opening marked the completion of the 50-unit affordable rental complex which has a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, three of which are specially designed for people with disabilities, states a county press release.
Monthly rents range from $575 to $850, including water and sewer fees.
Occupancy at Pa‘anau Village Phase 2 is restricted to households at or below 60 percent of the Kaua‘i median household income limits of $35,580 for one person, $40,620 for two people, $45,720 for three people, $50,760 for four people, $54,840 for five people and $58,920 for six people.
All of the income-qualified tenants for the Pa‘anau Village units were determined through a lottery, but applications are still being accepted. Call Hawai‘i Affordable Properties at 634-8828 for future openings.
“We are very pleased that 50 Kaua‘i families will soon be moving into a new affordable rental complex, which is designed with a number of green elements including solar hot water heating, Energy Star appliances, ceiling fans and water-conserving plumbing,” said Carvalho. “This is an example of how partnerships between federal, state and county governments and private entities can really benefit our residents.”
Pa‘anau Village Phase 2 is located on a four-acre parcel in Koloa which was conveyed to the county at no cost by Kukui‘ula Development Co. in satisfaction of a zoning condition. Access to one of its parking areas opens to the Ala Kalanikaumaka, or western bypass road.
Kukui‘ula Development Co. also constructed an extension to Pa‘anau Road to provide access to the project.
“This is a great example of doing together for a great outcome,” said Furfaro. “The units have some great features including granite countertops, a washer and dryer in each unit, ceiling fans in every room, storage closets on every lana‘i, a community center where people can get together for talk story, and even a playground.”
The county retained Kaua‘i Housing Development Corp. to finance and develop the second phase of Pa‘anau Village and provided $2.7 million for the project through the HOME Investment Partnership Program.
Shioi Construction was awarded a $13.8 million contract to build the project.
Conrad Murashige, president of Shioi Construction, said the Pa‘anau Village Phase 2 project not only benefits people needing affordable housing, but it had a direct impact on the local economy. The firm employed 165 workers on site from 2008-10 and put in 9,800 man-days at the site. Additionally, Murashige said the company paid $5.22 million in payroll which directly impact lives of people in the community. He was proud to add that 98 percent of the workforce employed for the Pa‘anau Village project was on-island labor.
He said working on the project was not only an opportunity for the company, but opened up meaningful dialogue which resulted in benefits for the project. One of those was the use of concrete in the parking areas in lieu of asphalt due to the high costs of oil. And, he said, the concrete will be in place for a longer period of time.
Other affordable housing projects on the drawing board for the island are at various stages of development, according to the county press release.
Among those are Rice Camp, where the county is in the process of acquiring land in Lihu‘e to build 80 affordable rentals for senior citizens. Lima Ola in ‘Ele‘ele, the county’s first green, sustainable, integrated and affordable community, is in the planning stage. Pi‘ilani Mae Ke Kai, consisting of 80 lots, is being built by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in Anahola. And work at ‘Ele‘ele I Luna, phase II is expected to start in the spring after the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity received tentative subdivision approval for the first increment of 48 lots.
Call 634-8828 for more information on Pa‘anau Village, Phase 2.
