|
WONG YUEN: Yes, that's correct—
<br />MASON: Yes, both sides.
<br />YATES: And then the State will turn around and take our money because they don't have enough.
<br />So then how does that help us as a county?
<br />MASON: Well, for, out of my experience in this, what actually on County is, is the business is
<br />local. If you really want to talk about the GDP of Hawaii, actually No. 1 GDP of Hawaii is
<br />military, not—and I've been saying for years—not tourism. But tourism in Hawaii—because I
<br />actually brought in 2014, 3,028 tourists myself out of the Japan, with two other guys that work with
<br />me. And the part of the opportunity of the cultural basis in, respect for the land and money is that I
<br />actually offered about five million dollars just for that, site.,' -And -the thing that that comes for the
<br />investments and stuff is that we're, I, I am a local domestic company in Hawaii, local boy,
<br />Hawaiian. I'm not an international business. So that's the thing; if the.money, the property, County
<br />gets their part, the lease, the State gets their part ;,.no matter if it's the4epartment [inaudible].
<br />WONG YUEN: Commissioner Yates—
<br />CARR SMITH: Mr. Wong Yuen, did you -have anything toadd?
<br />WONG YUEN: Yeah, thank you, Chair.' What I7d,like to add, so, for Commissioner Yate's
<br />understanding, is that, you know, No. 1, this.is private development; so there is no County funds
<br />being expended to build this project, or to build any project;, -it would,hot be, that's, that's what we
<br />are asking, it will be -private development. The, State,has ownership, or stewardship, over these lands
<br />at the airport, and we would be leasing these for the"benefit of the people actually, because the
<br />money does come back -to the State.-CAFR, the State treasury. So there is no money being expended
<br />by us. And byway of relationship,,you know, Melvin and I have been friends, but, you know, he is
<br />a distincteompany, I am, a government employee. He is one of many that would be likely, likely
<br />submit to an RFP; it will be.out there _for all entities',to bid on, including the Kohala Coast resorts, all
<br />of them: --__A nybody would be able to do this, so it's not limited to him. So I just want to make that
<br />distinction and _clear. If there; are any other -questions about that—and I'm sorry, Commissioner
<br />Van Perris, if we've not, you know, understood, and forgive me for that, we'll try to answer your
<br />question as best `as we can.
<br />CARR SMITH: Mr. Vitousek:-
<br />VITOUSEK: Yeah, thank you. I feel like we are getting way ahead of ourselves on this, and, we
<br />were, as if we were reviewing the construction of a hotel, which we are not. This, this area is within
<br />the Special Management Area. It's also State land. So in the event that a hotel is going to be
<br />applying to be built at this area, it would require a Special Management Area Permit that the
<br />Commission will have to review in order to take into account the effects of the project. It will also
<br />trigger Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 343, which will require the preparation of an
<br />environmental assessment that will take into account the effects of the proposed hotel. All of this
<br />will have to be reviewed in the event that a hotel is built at this airport. I think right now we are
<br />looking at a zoning change that brings the current uses of the airport in line with the permitted use of
<br />16
<br />DRAFT
<br />
|