Waa Waa Subdivision on the Big Island
Waa Waa is a beautiful rural community in Lower Puna located between Hawaiian Shores Recreational Estates and the corner of Hwy 132 and Hwy 111 (Kapoho). I remember when my wife and I moved there in 1972 and there was only one other home in the area. This is a small community of approximately 228 lots with the majority of them being 3.44 acres. 50 of these lots are located close to the shoreline. Because there is a thin strip of land that runs the length of the shoreline in this subdivision that is owned by the community, these lots are not technically ocean front but for all practical principles they are.
This strip is too narrow for anything to be built on in so it really is an asset to the owner of these lots. The reason it is an asset is because it technically makes these lots not oceanfront and because those portions of the lots near the ocean are in conversation zoning, the fact that they are not oceanfront allows for more use within the conservation zoned areas of the community. These ocean lots for the most part are partially in conservation zoning (some are completely) which adds to the difficult in building in this area. You may be able to build in this conversation zone but it requires you to go through a lot of hoops to accomplish this goal. Permits are required from both the state and the county. This community is off the grid (no electric), no pavement or phone lines. Those who choose to live here, for the most part prefer it that way and they have worked hard to prevent the road from being paved or having electricity brought in.
I remember at one point about 32 years ago one of the neighbors chained herself to one of the mango trees (first calling the newspaper) to stop the county from bulldozing the trees on the road in preparation for paving / and or electric lines. After this became the front page news it was determined that no one in the county could be found who had given the order for this work to be done.
Additional Info
- Published in Big Island
