File video by David Corrigan | Voice of Stephanie Salazar

HAMAKUA COAST, Hawaii: The Hamakua Community Development Plan was rolling along earlier this year, but things have slowed down a bit lately.

The Community Planning Assistant for the Hamakua CDP reports that the anticipated first draft of the plan is past its original release deadline.

Planners say the team has “identified several improvements needed in order to produce a plan that addresses the aspirations of the community’s Vision and provide the guidance necessary for a legal and implementable long range plan.”

“We appreciate the community’s patience as we further refine the draft,” they wrote.

The CDP will not hold monthly meetings until there is a draft CDP or something substantial to present to the Steering Committee and the community, planners say.

The Hamakua Community Development Plan aims to give the community from rural South Hilo to Honokaa the opportunity to guide the future growth of the region over the coming decades.