Community Opposition Grows in Kohala Over Parking Lot Near Popular Pololu Valley Lookout
A private landowner in Kohala agreed to donate five acres to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources for a parking lot and comfort station near the valley lookout. David Smith, head of DLNR’s Forestry and Wildlife Division, says this could help ease traffic in the area.
"There were six parking spots at the end of the road and they were never full. Now the line of cars will go a quarter mile down the way on both sides of the road. There’s no restroom and it’s a real problem," says Smith, "So we’ve been working with reps from the Big Island to try to fix this thing and the community, and this is the fix."