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The Hawaii County Council has renewed its push to acquire a historic stretch of coastal land in Puna, urging the Department of Finance to proceed with the purchase of a 364-acre property in Pahoa using dedicated conservation funds.

Known as Honolulu Landing, the property includes about 4,000 feet of shoreline and lies between Waiakahi‘ula and the Nanawale Forest Reserve. The coastal area has cultural, archaeological and ecological value and has been on the county’s priority list for preservation since 2007.

The name “Honolulu Landing” dates back to the early 1900s through the 1940s, when cattle were driven over the 1840 lava flow to the bay. The bay was deep enough to allow a barge to anchor offshore, where workers would push cows into the water, make them swim out, and then hoist them aboard using canvas slings before shipping them to slaughter in Honolulu.

The County Council on Sept. 2. advanced a resolution to proceed with the acquisition of Honolulu Landing, moving it to the full Council for a vote. Resolution No. 286-25 urges the county director of finance to proceed with the acquisition in the Puna District using the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund, or PONC.

The resolution passed out of the Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions Committee with an 8-0 vote, with Council member Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder absent. It was introduced by Council member Ashley Kierkiewicz in response to concerns over the possible sale of the historic property.

Honolulu Landing contains archaeological sites such as burial grounds and ancient village complexes, and supports natural resources critical to endangered species. The site also plays a vital role in restoring public access to Puna makai, which was limited following the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption.

Kierkiewicz expressed frustration over growing development in the area.

“I swear every other day, I’m hearing some influencer talking about ‘I’m moving to Hawaii, come buy this land with me.’ It pains me because I/we still have ohana and friends that are still renting and cannot afford to buy,” Kierkiewicz said.

Council member Rebecca Villegas emphasized the significance of the 364-acre parcel. “This sacred place does not become the Honolulu of Oahu,” she said.

Malia Kekai, county deputy director of finance, outlined the next steps for the acquisition.

“The mayor gave us the go-ahead to work on procuring an appraisal a few weeks ago,” Kekai said. “What happens next is we get the appraisal, we have the price, and we start to talk to the seller about how much we can offer because we are limited basically to the appraisal price. Within the next two to three months, we should have the process moving.”

The property is listed for $3.89 million by Brent Wenner of KW Commercial, and the PONC fund has just under $30 million available for such acquisitions.

All public testimony at the Sept. 2 meeting was in support of the resolution.

“These 364 acres of land hold many treasures that are yet to be discovered,” said Marci Browne, a Pahoa resident of 22 years. “History has a way of fading; these lands need to be preserved. They hold the key, the key to understanding the history of what Hawaii once was in this area.”

Former Council member Emily Naeole, who first introduced legislation to acquire the land nearly 20 years ago, also voiced her support, saying, “I believe we got to preserve what is part of our culture … we’re in Hawaii, we should preserve our stuff.”

The land has a narrow coastline, currently in conservation, that covers about 30 acres with nearly a mile of oceanfront. The remaining 334 acres extend inland in a triangular shape, ending at Manalo Street in Hawaiian Shores. Details about the listing are available online at commercialsearch.com.

A citizen’s initiative approved in 2006 led to the establishment of the Public Access Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission, which directs the county to allocate 2% of property tax revenue toward land acquisitions.

The landowner’s death resulted in the property being placed into an LLC by the family, which now wishes to sell it, according to Eileen O’Hara, who served District 4 as a council member from 2016 to 2018 and is the current executive director of Malama O Puna.

Under commission guidelines, the county cannot purchase the property for more than its assessed market value.

“I’ve been trying to get it into preservation since the 1990s, because it’s such a historic and important piece of real estate,” O’Hara told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald on Aug. 28.

“We’re hopeful that everything aligns and that the market assessment allows them to go into negotiations with the owner, because the property is going to be listed separately — the coastal piece for $1.7 million and the mauka for $2.4 million,” O’Hara said.

“At that price … it could get snatched up really quickly,” O’Hara added. “This is really about keeping Hawaiian lands in Hawaiian hands.”

According to the resolution, Honolulu Landing
contains significant archaeological features first recorded by Bishop Museum in 1932, including village complexes, heiau, ancient burial sites, house platforms and traditional agricultural areas. The site is considered eligible for inclusion in the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

The area also is home to native flora and fauna, including freshwater springs and habitats for endangered species such as the Hawaiian hawk (io), the Hawaiian hoary bat (opeapea) and the Hawaiian owl (pueo).

Council members emphasized restoring public access to the Puna coastline is especially urgent after the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kilauea, which cut off many traditional pathways to the ocean.

The resolution calls for culturally informed land management and urges the county to work closely with lineal descendants, cultural practitioners, scientists and conservation groups.

Community support is evident in an online petition seeking to preserve the land, which has gathered about 1,000 signatures. The petition can be viewed at 808ne.ws/4gaLNMc.