Laserfiche WebLink
L . ; <br />Megan Isaac, <br />resident Hilo (frequent visitor to Kona's coastline) <br />I have reviewed other testimony on this very.matter and include it here: <br />The Kona coastline should remain free from urbanization to the maximum <br />-extent possible. There are costs involved in urbanizing the Kona coastline. <br />Keeping development mauka of the highway protects water quality and <br />scenic vistas. Kona is unique as is its airport. Just because many not <br />all airports have hotels nearby does not justify compromising Kona's <br />uniqueness. Too often, efficiency is .used to justify degradation of <br />environmental integrity. `Nuff already. A win-win solution is leaving <br />things as they have been for decades. <br />The plan to rezone in order to build a hotel would increase urbanization on <br />coastal land. It is a bad idea that contravenes all this community has <br />fought for for decades with so much sacrifice and hard-won success. <br />Why are we focusing on hotel room creation above alternative, more <br />sustainable ways to use state land and government effort? The last thing <br />we need are more hotel rooms. Or, does this island have to suffer the <br />inevitable indignities that led to the monster that is Honolulu? <br />Please look at other ways to keep our people and our island safe and with <br />a viable future rather than increasing the urban or resort use of public land. <br />With the lesson of covid-19 and volcanic eruptions, it's madness to put <br />more eggs into the tourism basket. <br />Kona isn't like most airports. We're an end -of -the road destination where short intentional layovers don't take place and <br />relatively few happen due to weather or other issues (like San Francisco or even Phoenix where high heat can hold up flights <br />which are, again, connecting flights are often affected and not something which Kona has). This rare "need" doesn't seem like it <br />affects enough people or is dire enough when our financial resources have been ravaged from covid-19 and recent past volcanic <br />2 <br />