A 43-lot affordable housing subdivision in Waimea has received a thumbs-up from the Big Island’s Leeward Planning Commission.

The Hawaii Island Community Development Corp. applied for several permits to allow for the construction of a 14-acre subdivision at the southwest corner of the intersection of Kawaihae Road and Waiula Drive.

According to documents from the Hawaii County Planning Department, the subdivision would be on a larger 237-acre agriculturally zoned parcel owned by HICDC. The development itself would be split into two noncontiguous sections: a 13-acre section supporting 39 lots toward the middle of the lot, and a 1.3-acre section directly on Waiula Drive containing the remaining four lots.

HICDC Executive Director Keith Kato told the commission last week that the subdivision’s name is Koai‘e, which he said is the name of a tree that used to grow in the area whose wood was used by Hawaiians for fishhooks. A tree sanctuary for koaie, which also are called koaia, is not far from the project site on Highway 250.

The subdivision would facilitate both HICDC’s self-help and turnkey housing programs. The former works with households making 80% or less of the area media income to help construct their homes, while the turnkey houses would be available to households that are unable to provide the required labor or have a greater income than the 80% threshold.

HICDC intends to provide “as many self-help homes as possible given federal funding limitations,” according to the planning documents. Turnkey homes would be available at rates affordable to households making up to 140% of the area median income.

The full project is estimated to cost $20 million and to be completed by the end of 2029.

HICDC requested several exemptions from county requirements such as minimum road widths, minimum road curve lengths, curb and gutter requirements and the like. HICDC also proposes to dedicate the subdivision roads to the county once completed, allowing the county to maintain them — although some commissioners noted the county is not obligated to accept that dedication.

“So, if I understand correctly, if (the Department of Public Works) does not accept the dedication, the property owners will have to pay to maintain the roads?” asked Commissioner Donna Noborikawa. “So, we’re asking low- to moderate-income families to shell out a bunch of money to pay for the roads?”

Kato told the commission that other HICDC subdivisions were granted similar exemptions and were still able to have their roads dedicated to the county.

Neighbors of the project were supportive of the subdivision. Waimea resident Nicole Milne said the project will “enable residents to purchase their homes, move closer to their jobs, hopefully alleviate traffic potentially, and maybe provide an opportunity for kamaaina who have moved away to come back home.”

“If any of you have ever taken the morning bus from Hilo to the west side, you’ve seen how it can be standing room only as people commute to their jobs on the leeward coast,” Milne said. “Property values in Waimea have made purchasing a home out of reach for most individuals working in Waimea.”

The commission voted unanimously to recommend that HICDC’s permit applications be approved, forwarding the matter to the County Council.