KILAUEA, Kaua'i — Kimura International, an O'ahu-based firm, was recently hired by Kaua'i County to work with stakeholders to determine the best use of a 75-acre agricultural park in Kilauea, county officials said in a news release.

The planning process will be under way in March, with a master plan for the project expected to be completed in about six months.

The long-awaited project was made possible through a transfer of acreage in the Crater Hill area to the county in the fall of 2006, according to the news release.

The donation of the ag park parcel was a condition of development imposed by the Planning Department more than 25 years ago.

"We are very pleased to see this project finally move forward after decades of delay," said Mayor Bryan Baptiste. "The farming community has been very patient since the County Council accepted this land more than a year ago, and we look forward to engaging them in this process to come up with the best possible plan for the parcel."