THE Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital (SMMH) IS WRAPPING UP THE UPDATE TO their TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (tod) master plan AND WILL INITIATE THE PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) PROCESS SOON!
MAHALO NUI TO ALL WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED TO DATE!
The updated TOD Master Plan includes:
Community needs and desires for the area, and
Greater integration of the adjacent State parcels – from the boardwalk to Kapa‘a Elementary and High School (refer to the map below).
Click map for a full size version.
Some background on the project: In 2019, Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) embarked on a master planning process to envision the future potential for SMMH and its 34-acre campus to serve the Kaua‘i Community into the future. The purpose of the project was to assess the current state of the hospital and determine improvements needed to address current and future health service needs and to determine options for better use of the State property to provide needed affordable housing, community services, and other uses, including those with revenue-generating potential. The resulting SMMH Conceptual Master Plan was completed by G70 in 2020.
Although the SMMH Conceptual Master Plan was recently completed, HHSC is updating the master plan to consider greater integration of adjacent State lands and community needs and is seeking broader community input on achieving the vision for a wellness village concept that is integrated in transit-oriented development (TOD).
HHSC has hired the planning, design, and landscape architecture firm, PBR HAWAII & ASSOCIATES, INC. (PBR), to assist in developing the updated master plan that incorporates the community’s needs and desires for the area as well as the unique characteristics of the campus and surrounding area. Over the course of the project, the team will be seeking community input and feedback. Scroll down to find the latest opportunities to get involved and share your ideas!
To learn more about the hospital and the project area, visit theABOUTpage.
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CHECK OUT THE FINAL CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN!
Based on the input received on the Draft Conceptual Plan, the project team has clarified some of the elements in the Final Conceptual Master Plan, which was presented at a community meeting held on April 12, 2023. If you missed the meeting, please visit the OUTREACH tab and scroll down to the "WHAT WE'VE HEARD" section to view the slides and audio recording.
This version of the conceptual master plan will be analyzed and reviewed through the upcoming Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. It therefore may go through some additional refinements based on the additional input received during the public comment periods.
In the meantime, please check out the Final Conceptual Master Plan and a summary of the plan's elements below:
Click on the image above to view Final Conceptual Master Plan.
SUMMARY OF REFINEMENTS AND DESCRIPTION OF THE FINAL CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN
Hospital
The hospital expansion areas and additions are more compact and affect the existing building less.
The existing Occupational Therapy (OT) Clinic building will be renovated to include the additional 25 Long-Term Care (LTC) beds and a second story may be added for additional uses.
The OT Clinic is relocated to a new wing on the north side of the hospital.
The Emergency Room expansion is more compact and does not affect the current renovations within the existing hospital.
The café is located at the front of the hospital near the existing kitchen and will have outdoor seating.
Public Facilities
The entire bluff on the makai southern portion of the campus will remain open with walking paths connecting to the existing boardwalk, the KPAL facility, and a new amphitheater for community events.
The new Public Library, Easter Seals, Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i Community Health Center, and State Department of Health Satellite Services Office are located along Kawaihau Road, activating the frontage of the SMMH campus. The existing Physician's House on Kawaihau Road is in the same location as Easter Seals on the plan and if feasible to renovate the existing structure, it may be adaptively reused for Easter Seals.
The new Police Substation is proposed at a key location at the top of Nunu Road, providing security for the community near the schools but maintains quick and easy access to Kawaihau Road.
The new Behavioral Health Inpatient and Residential Facilities are located close to the Hospital and Police Substation.
The Village Green Open Space at the corner of Kawaihau Road and Nunu Road will provide open space and overflow parking for community events.
The Preschool is located close to Kapa‘a Elementary School to receive support from the elementary school such as food service and staff support.
Housing
There is a mix of housing types shown on the plan for an estimated total of 342 units. However, the exact design and configuration will be refined later during detailed design stages of implementation.
Specific labels for affordable/workforce/staff housing, transitional housing, DHHL housing, and assisted living facilities are no longer included to provide flexibility as funding for various projects becomes available in the future.
With the Easter Seals program moved to Kawaihau Road, the existing State Department of Health’s Hale Hau‘oli building could be renovated into housing. Further investigation of the 1.5 acres makai of the facility should be done to understand the potential for future expansion or redevelopment.
Commercial Buildings
These one- to two-story buildings are envisioned to include a mix of medical offices for doctors and dentists, outpatient services and supportive uses, a pharmacy, and a small convenience retail shop.
Circulation
The new internal loop road will be designed to work with the existing topography and could include mini roundabouts at the new intersections with Kawaihau and Nunu Roads if the traffic study warrants them.
Traffic calming measures such as speed tables and raised crosswalks are placed at key locations near transit stops and at the southern approach to the community. If the mini roundabouts are not implemented, consider other traffic calming measures from the northern approach as well.
Sidewalks and pedestrian paths connect throughout the campus and include community amenities such as benches, exercise stations, shade trees, and pavilions.
Iwaena Road is closed between the campus and Gore Park to expand and connect the community uses and the sidewalk will remain to provide a direct connection to the boardwalk and Hundley Heights community.
A new right-turn lane is provided from Mimilo Road to Kawaihau Road with traffic calming measures provided at the southern approach to the intersection.
A new potential roadway connection between the Mahelona campus and Kūhiō Highway should be explored. The potential connection would continue the makai extension of Nunu Road near the DOH Hale Hau‘oli and terminate at a proposed roundabout at the highway. Initial conversations with the State Department of Transportation Highways Division on Kaua‘i supported this new connection if the alignment could be feasibly constructed. Additional engineering studies will be needed to explore this new connection.
Future Potential Redevelopment Area
A five-acre Future Potential Redevelopment Area is identified on the draft conceptual plan for long-term consideration. It includes the existing Mahelona staff housing and the HPHA Hale Nana Kai O Kea senior housing community and is not envisioned to happen as part of this master plan but identified for future consideration as the existing facilities reach the end of their useful life.
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Click map for a full size version.
