Molokai Vets: Yes You Can Build But Wait….

Four and half years of the permit process with Maui and Molokai planners…hearings, meetings, discussions, on and on.  Finally we got the green light to build.  Four and half months ago we started prepping our property to build a 3,100 sq. ft. Veteran Center Museum.  In the last three months we are now in limbo waiting for our building permit.  All departments in the County of Maui have signed off except for the Water Department. 
 
There is a four inch water line that fronts Makoa Trucking Company and Molokai Petroleum and the Veteran property.  There is a three inch line that fronts all the property of the houses on the beach side including Molokai salt company.  The concern that the Water Department has is that there is not enough water pressure to protect our building from fire.  We have discussed this water issue at many meetings with Molokai and Maui planners in SMA permit process.  From 1907 to 2003 there were many buildings on the Veteran property equaling about 7,000 sq. ft. used by Molokai Ranch and Hawaiian Research Company.
 
My question is, if the water is good enough to protect Makoa Trucking and the fuel tanks and all beach front houses, why is it not enough to protect us?  In the radius of 300 ft. of our property there are four fire hydrants.  The fire department has signed off and now the Water Department is holding up our building permit.  It is costing us time, money, anxiety and some Molokai Vets have died while waiting to see the center built.  Hopefully this challenge can be resolved soon so that we can build the center for Molokai veterans, visiting Veterans, and the people of Molokai. If this was a County, State, or Federal project with the same water line, they would not need a permit to build!
 
The Molokai people have been overwhelmingly supportive.  Lots of mahalo for those who have helped us, Daryl Aiea and his boys, Ray Foster, Coco, Rodney Dudoit, Ben Deluna Sr., and Jr., Mac and Bootie Poepoe, Dean and Gene Spencer and their crew, Aunty Gayla Mowat, Terry Harris, and a special mahalo to Art Parr, architect, for his patience, perseverance and expertise, our special angels who blessed the site are Judy & Cappy Caparida, Clay Ching, Lynette Schaeffer, Fr. Clyde Guerreiro, Claude Duvauchelle, and our Veteran Chaplain Oliver Young.  Stay tuned.
 
Larry Helm, Commander
Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans