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Fern Acres Community Association 

What does Fern Acres Look Like ?
(views of typical lots and homes)

Local Lava Tube

Fern Acres, previously known as Crescent Acres, was founded in the 1950s. Fern Acres community works to improve the roads and provides electric service to most lots. Water is catchment only.

Fern Acres had a population of 756 with 319 housing units; a land area land area of 6.27 sq. miles; and a population density of 120.64 people per sq. mile for Census 2000. Fern Acres is  located in Hawaii County at latitude 19.512 and longitude -155.08. The elevation is 1,532 feet.

Anyone looking for Fern Acres will need to head out of Hilo towards Volcano. You will pass Kea`au and Kurtistown. About a mile past the 13 mile marker you will see a sign with 'Kulani 17' pointing to the right. That is North Kulani Rd and it's 17 miles to the prison. You will need to turn left onto South Kulani Rd.  If you are coming from the Kona side, you will pass through the small, sleepy town of Mountain View (of which Fern Acres is a part) and turn right onto South Kulani Road just a few hundred feet past the Mountain View Elementary School & Library.  Go about one mile to the stop sign and turn right on to Puhala and you are in Fern Acres.

Crescent Acres ??

Crescent Acres was the original name of the subdivision in the 1950s; this was legally changed in 1967 and the change was filed with the State and County with mixed results. The tax office lists both names and "Crescent Acres" still pops up unexpectedly from time to time. A recent newspaper ad placed by a local Real Estate company listed properties for sale in Crescent Acres with no mention of Fern Acres at all !!

So, was Crescent Acres a substantially different place than Fern Acres? You bet.

When lots in Crescent Acres were advertised in Japan in the late 60s, this was a "future" planned community featuring a large lake, golf course, clubhouse and a resort!  A number lots are what was to be "lakeside property." Of course creating these amenities would have taken over half of the land! There is no information about how these "natural wonders" were to become reality. Copies of a map showing the location of the lake, golf course, riding stables and even a zoo are in scrapbooks in the Fern Acres Community Association office.

Ironically, as the year 2002 began, work began towards such basic items as paving the roads and making electric service available to all lots. Right now, the only body of water in the immediate future is the large pond that appears on Puhala during heavy rain.

It is unfortunate that Hawaii County allowed developers to create subdivisions merely by sending in bulldozers to cut so-called "roads" before selling lots with no expectation or requirement of any further infrastructure. In 1975, the one-lane roads were in a battle with the aggressive flora and there was only a lone tractor-mower defending the roads. There's been great progress in establishing decent roads and electric service for over 90% of the lots but it's still necessary to use a mower to do battle with the bushes.

Fern Acres Subdivision Map

Fern Acres Community Association 

What does Fern Acres Look Like ?
(views of typical lots and homes)

Fern Acres Lava Tube