(BIVN) – The public comment period is open on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the proposed Pāhoa Library and Transit Hub, and a community meeting is set for Wednesday evening at the Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility.

The Wednesday (April 17) neeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility at 15-2016 Kauhale Street, Pāhoa.

The Draft EA takes a close look at three Alternatives for the project, and names the Preferred Alternative as the lot located at the northwest corner of Pāhoa Village Road and Kahakai Boulevard between Pāhoa Marketplace and the Puna Kai Shopping Center.

Map showing the location of the Preferred Alternative as shown in the Pāhoa Transit Hub and Library Draft Environmental Assessment.

The Preferred Alternative 1 is located at the northwest corner of Pāhoa Village Road and Kahakai Boulevard between Pāhoa Marketplace and the Puna Kai Shopping Center

From the County of Hawaiʻi:

The County of Hawai‘i Mass Transit Agency (MTA), Planning Department, and Hawai‘i State Public Library System (HSPLS) invite the community to provide feedback on the Draft Environmental Assessment for a proposed new transit hub and co-located library in Pāhoa Town. The transit hub and library are intended to support comfort and safety for transit riders, promote other multi-modal uses such as walking and biking, and provide amenities and gathering spaces for the greater Pāhoa community.

A community meeting is planned on April 17, 2024 to continue the previous planning process. This meeting will discuss the findings reported in the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and offer an opportunity for the public to provide feedback.

Community members needing an auxiliary aid or other accommodation to attend a meeting due to a disability may contact Heather Bartlett at (808) 628-5843. Inquiries should be made as soon as possible before the event to allow adequate time to fulfill the request.

The project consultant is SSFM International, Inc. The timeline is anticipated to run through to 2027, with the permitting process expected to take through 2024 to complete, and construction commencing in 2025. Visit pahoatransithub.info for more info.

The Draft EA comment period will end on May 1, 2024.

Site plan for the Preferred Alternative as shown in the Pāhoa Transit Hub and Library Draft Environmental Assessment.