Hawaiian Acres Community Food Hub

Last November, the Hawaiian Acres Community Association—fiscally sponsored by Puna Mākaukau—was one of seven awardees of a generous grant ($534,000) funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal COVID-19 relief package, administered by the County of Hawai‘i. The award is for the construction of a long-awaited certified shared-use kitchen for our community, designed to tie into existing structures at the Hawaiian Acres Community Center site on Moho Road.

Due to extenuating circumstances the original proposed plan for a multi-use structure, with a community center and kitchen could not be executed in the given grant timeline. Therefore, a revised Plan B is proposed that will satisfy the grant requirements and create a shared-kitchen on an expedited timeline.

The obligated contracts with architect and engineers will be completed and plans submitted to the Building Division of the County of Hawaii Department of Public Works to obtain a building permit for Plan A. This provides us with the option of completing the structure at some point in the future. The Plan A footprint and site plan will remain available.

Plan B will be Hawaiian Acres Community Food Hub - an ABCO Certified Food Hub exempt from building permits. A pre-built shipping container commercial kitchen will be purchased and installed on site along with bathrooms, and storage. A roof will be built between containers, creating a large covered space for seating and outdoor events, with secure storage in the containers.

The Team

Puna Makaukau, Fiscal Sponsor
- Patti Pinto
- Chandra Pinto
Hawaiian Acres Community Association
- Linda Brush, President
- Angelic, Vice President
- Sandy Margriter, Treasurer, Build Committee Chair
- Aaron, Neighborhood Watch
- Shannon Matson, Build Committee Co-chair, Road Corporation
- Myrna, Build Committee
- Jeffrey Fendentz, Build Committee
- Peter Watson, Project Manager
Hawaii Commercial Kitchens, Anthony Florig
- Alex and Tomek, HBFF Consulting - Permitting and Compliance
- Daeus Bencomo, Lavaloha Chocolate - Personnel & Equipment
- Megan Brady, Uproot Origin - Commercial Kitchen Training
- Amedeo Markoff, Pahoa Lava Zone - Kitchen Buildouts and Equipment
- Jess Devendorf, Food Safety and Kitchen Consultant

DOWNLOAD BUDGET

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are we switching to "Plan B" (The Food Hub)?
The $534,000 ARPA grant comes with strict federal deadlines. Traditional construction ("Plan A") involves a lengthy permitting and labor process that could not be completed within this window. Plan B ensures we obligate and spend the funds on time so the money stays in our community to build a functional kitchen right away.

Is "Plan A" (The Multi-Use Center) being cancelled?
No. We are completing the architectural and engineering plans and submitting them for a building permit. This makes the project "shovels-ready" for the future. By securing the permits now, we preserve the option to build the full center when additional funding becomes available.

What exactly is a "Food Hub"?
Under Hawai‘i law, a Food Hub is a facility that provides for the storage, processing, and distribution of local agricultural products. It often includes a certified commercial kitchen where residents can prepare value-added products like jams, sauces, or grab-and-go meals.

How can we build a kitchen without a building permit?

The Hawaiian Acres Food Hub is a certified Agricultural-Based Commercial Operation, registered as a "Food Hub" with Department of Planning. This allows us to build a commercial kitchen for agricultural processing and value-added products:
- https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/edoc/99680/Ag-Based%20Commercial%20Ops%20Cert.pdf
- We will still obtain a Food Establishment Permit from Department of Health.
In addition, we will be declaring a Building Dept exemption under HRS 46-88
- https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/1/edoc/114230/HRS_46-88_Instructions_Declaration_(3_29_22).pdf
- We will still obtain Electric, Plumbing and Septic permits.

Plan B utilizes pre-engineered shipping containers that are outfitted as commercial kitchens off-site. Under HRS 46-88, certain non-residential agricultural structures and single stand-alone containers are exempt from standard building permits, provided they are used for processing or storage and meet specific size and anchoring requirements.

What will the new site look like?
The Food Hub Site Plan features a "plug-and-play" commercial kitchen and bathrooms housed in secure shipping containers. A large, permanent roof will be constructed between the containers to create a covered outdoor pavilion for seating, workshops, and community events.

Who can use the kitchen once it’s finished?

The kitchen will be available for rent to members who sign a rental agreement, including security deposit, food handlers certification, General Excise Tax license, and general liability insurance. It will support local farmers, entrepreneurs, and residents looking to process local produce. It is also a key part of our status as a Vibrant Hawai‘i Resilience Hub, providing a reliable food preparation site during emergencies.

Who will manage the kitchen and community center property?

A Hawaiian Acres Food Hub Manager will be hired to work 16hrs/wk to manage the commercial kitchen rental space and agriculture production and processing. There is also a plan for a Hawaiʻi Farm-to-Car distribution point at the site they will manage. Once the community center is built and additional funds become available, we can look at expanding this position.