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5. 'I• f ' Est but certainly not <br /> least, Shipman has always made promises to the-local community, but has consistently <br /> failed local residents. Consider the following: <br /> a. r i f .h hi ri .Several years ago, over the loud- and vocal <br /> protests of local residents, Shipman bulldozed the historic older buildings i€~ Kea'au <br /> village (saying they were structurally unsound}, but promised to rebuild sireilar <br /> structures in the same quaint, plantation style, and even provided architectural <br /> drawings of such structures. What did- Shipman eventually build? tcConalds and <br /> a gas station! <br /> b. ~ in i r r ' I have obtained copies <br /> of correspondence betw~n Shipman and the state ~®T showing that Shipman <br /> obtained, under the table; approval from the state to include much of tl`Se basic <br /> infrastructure for theirfour-way stoplight as part of the initial Kea'au Sypass <br /> construction! `The approval by the ®®T was based on aShipman-provided traffic <br /> analysis (TZAR) that has been judged as seriously inadequate by an outside <br /> transportation professional. This would have all continued to be a secret if Andy <br /> Levin had not pursued Shipman and the state ~®l° about their private arrangement. <br /> ices this scenario demonstrate good faith by Shipman on behalf of the community, <br /> or does it reveal a company dishonestly pursuing its own self-interests? <br /> c. I i n f i n r i n f v' .After the <br /> County Council tabled the Gateway project last year, Shipman hired biro Sumada to <br /> oversee their development projects in Kea'au. 9~t a community meeting held in <br /> Kea'au, 4~Ir. Sumada announced that Shipman was sponsoring a Kea'au Citizen's <br /> Advisory Committee, and that those interested should put their names on the sign- <br /> up sheet. I had signed up as the only representative of Flawai'i Island Planning <br /> Advocates, but was never invited to the mee#ing. <br /> When I called Moir. Sumada to fnd out why, he indicated that there were already <br /> enough people coming, and that I would not be allowed to attend. I-lowever, I was <br /> told by someone attending the first meeting that there were probably 8-10 <br /> representatives in attendance from just one local ICea'au church group! It became <br /> clear to me that Shipman is truly not interested in hearing from the local community-- <br /> particulariy from anyone that might challenge them and their development plans for <br /> I~u;~a. <br /> We are at a critical juncture in our island's growth and development, and many of us are :still <br /> hopeful that, ands: 1l4tayor Kim's administration, the beauty and uniqueness of this island can be <br /> preserved. <br /> I-lowever, poorly conceived proposals such as the Gateway project cannot be allowed to go <br /> <br /> forward until they are approved by local residents and are part of community-based plans that <br /> clearly spell out how fat}.are development gill proceed. Until then, €~una residents Sill be happy to <br /> drive a few more miles into Flilo, rather than end up with a bypass nightmare that will do nothing to <br /> raise our quality of life. <br /> _ <br /> <br />