Terrazzo - A Second Bid!

Finally - we got another bid on the flooring throughout the house. This firm has taken time to truly understand what needs to be done. Remeber that the first bid was $305K, this one comes in at around $225K. WTF?!

At least they are going in the right direction....

Originally created by Venetian construction workers as a low cost flooring material, the workers used marble chips from upscale jobs to create Terrazzo. The workers would usually set them in clay to surface the patios around their living quarters. Consisting originally of marble chips, clay, and goat milk (as the sealer), production of Terrazzo became much easier after the 1920s and the introduction of electric industrial grinders and other power equipment.

Newly-set Terrazzo will not look like marble unless it is wet. That's where the goat's milk comes in, acting as a sealer and preserving the wet and marble-like look.

(Note to self: buy some Goat's Milk)

Contractors

I called one of the contractors yesterday to find out the status of their bid. The call was returned today. Basically they stopped working up the bid but will get back to it.... ahh, Hawaii!

Some Light Reading (click text)

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Environmental Notice

Here is the initial notice about our new home that got some people nervous... they didn't understand. They didn't do their homework. That said, the new house to be built is different from the one described here and in a different location on the property:

(4) Utyro & Hauler SFR (HRS 343-5(c) DEA)
District: Puna
TMK: (3) 1-3-02:71
Applicant: Edward Utyro & Gary Hauler‚ 1870 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Apt 402‚ Washington, District of Columbia 20009
Approving
Agency: Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands‚ Department of Land and Natural Resources‚ P.O. Box 621‚ Honolulu,
HI 96809.
Consultant: Carlsmith Ball LLP‚ 121 Wai‘anuenue Avenue‚ Hilo, HI 96720.
Public Comment
Deadline: September 7‚ 2008
Status: Draft environmental assessment (DEA) notice pending 30-day public comment. Address comments to the applicant with
copies to the approving agency, consultant and OEQC.
Permits
Required: Conservation District Use Permit‚ National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit ‚ Building Permit
The applicants propose to build a 4991 square foot single family residence. The 2-story building will contain three bedrooms, three
bathrooms, a swimming pool, spa, outdoor shower, and an “on-grade” terrace. A circular driveway with gates at each entry will connect the
residence to the main road.
The parcel is on the Kapoho-Kalapana Road, southwest of ‘Opihikao. The land is part of the Kau‘eleau lava flow. The makai boundary
of the property follows along the top of a pali. A state-owned parcel separates this parcel from the shoreline.
The flora is dominated by a relatively intact hala and ‘ohi‘a lehua forest mixed with a few introduced and invasive species. Approximately
1.5 acres of the site has been previously graded and landscaped. The landscaped area is dominated by introduced decorative species.
The project will involve the removal of approximately 39 hala, 6 ‘ohi‘a, and 4 ironwood trees. New grading and contouring will involve
11,000 square feet.
There are no known archaeological features on the property. The Pua‘akanu Cemetery lies immediately north of the parcel.
The project is setback 25 feet from the makai property line. Lateral access to the shoreline in the area is provided by a twenty-foot wide
public easement along the property’s eastern boundary.

Kitchen - one person's view

A first draft of the kitchen...we need to work on this!

Mahalo and Danke

First bid has arrived

Our first bid came in from a contractor. We are hoping to have a terrazzo floor throughout the home and then outside to the pool.

The bid was (drum roll) $305,000.00 We think we need to rethink our decision here.... in the meantime, we wait for two more bids on the floor.

House Site

Of course - the Hala forest takes precedent before we share the new house site....

This is looking at the housesite. The noni trees in the foreground will have to be removed. Not to worry, we have plenty more noni.

We have an address!

13-6519 Kalapana-Kapoho Road.

I never thought I would have an address with that many numbers in it - I guess I was always hoping for an address such as "One Kalepa Point".

Now to build a house.

One of the coves that is near the Northern edge of the property

An early shot of the driveway - Trees are much larger now!

Sunset - looking South

Even the East Coast of the Big Island can have some great sunsets!

A view from above

This picture was taken about one year after we purchased the property.