Large Acreage For Sale in Kohala – New Price Pending Subdivison Approval

Just above the oceanfront on the north shore of Kohala on Hawaii Island sits 117 acres of undeveloped land that currently has preliminary approval for subdivision into five 20-acre lots. There has recently been a flurry of showing activity to prospective buyers wanting a single large acreage. Seller has therefore decided to reduce the price to $3,600,000 for an “as is” sale for a limited time before moving forward on the subdivision.

View from lower boundary of the 117-acre property, looking over a narrow strip of oceanfront land to be acquired by the County for coastal preservation (MLS 605628) 

History of the 117-acres of Land for Sale

After the company now known as Surety Kohala, Co acquired thousands of acres of former sugar cane plantation land, they began the arduous process of consolidating and resubdividing those lands into larger chunks that they could then sell. The 117 acres was part of the section shown above, from Ainakea to the west, to Halawa Gulch and Hapuu Bay to the east.

Legal cases resulted in a requirement for deeded pedestrian shoreline public access across these lands. The County required that long stretches of oceanfront get assigned to a single parcel, so they would deal with fewer landowners for those grants of easement.  As a result, a very small strip of oceanfront in front of this 117 acre land listing belongs to another owner. That 50-acre parcel referred to as “Halelua” for the gulch that separates the 117 acre from its neighbor to the east, is set to be acquired using Hawaii Countyʻs Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commissionʻs special fund (PONC).

Quite possibly “almost oceanfront” is better than “oceanfront,” as I wrote when I had that 50 acre oceanfront parcel listed (note that the other parcels described are the neighbors to the 117 acres but share the same oceanfront 50 acre buffer).

Status of Subdivision Approval for 5 Almost Oceanfront Lots

The 117 acres is zoned Ag-20a, which means it can be further subdivided into lots of no less than 20 acres. Tentative subdivision approval was granted in 2009. The owner was required to improve the property access easement (which runs across two large parcels above or “mauka” of it), and has done substantial work on surveying and laying out proposed interior roadways.

One more County approval for the roadway plan is expected this month; after that, the layout of the lots will be finalized and interior road construction will begin.

Rotational grazing of cattle and sheep helps restore fertility to land depleted by intensive sugar cane production.

But in the meantime, a buyer looking for a large legacy land purchase, or a parcel to farm or ranch, could now acquire the 117 acres for $3,600,000.

Improvements included:

• Two wells and water storage tank
• Steel equipment shed
• Windbreaks planted to shelter areas designated for agriculture
• The fertility of the land has been improved by rotational grazing of sheep and cattle.

Another advantage to the buyer who planned to keep the land intact would be the possible benefits of extinguishing those development rights via a conservation easement that would keep the land in agriculture. One could still build a residence and additional agricultural structures.

The mauka views are equally stunning, as in this photo of Mauna Kea visible over Pololu Valley.

If acquiring and keeping this acreage intact is of interest to you, Iʻd be happy to introduce you to the folks at Hawaiian Islands Land Trust to discuss the mechanics of conservation easements.