COM 0493.016 2000-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Testimony on Proposed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 146 Page 2 of 3 Kohala Community Groups, Businesses, Citizens coastline, yet continues to approve subdivision and building development in this area. We see haxury homes being built makai of the Kawaihae-Mahukona-Hawi Road just north of Kawaihae. We see coastal and mountain areas that have been accessible for years being fenced and access denied by the use of locked gates. We see historic features being destroyed by grading and bulldozing (often without permits). We want this to stop now. Our community collected over 600 signatures of local Kohala residents urging the Hawaii County Planning Bepartment to include specific language in the General Plan Update and to initiate specific measures that will recognize, preserve and protect the historical, traditional aa~~l sacred sites and places of Kohala, which extend from Kawaihae to Pololu Valiey and beyond to Waipio Valley. Weak and vague policies are not enough.. Berg put off as the lowest priority is not enough given the current and rising pressure for additional development. We sincerely request the support of the Senate, the House, the State of Hawaii, and the County of Hawaii to follow through on the policies and commitments that have been made, and to work collaboratively with each other and with us in the community, to preserve this beautiful coastline from unnecessary and inappropriate development, and to prevent us from losing forever the rich, unique natural and historic resource it is. Some areas of immediate concern that will be protected by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 146 are: 1) Keawa'nui Bay and Keawe'ula ~iay in the Kehena 2nd ahupua'a (cluster of historic encosures and heiau where the ali' i used to wait prior to disembarking for journeys to Tahiti and beyond) 2) Kaiholena ahupua'a (which has more historic sites than Lapakahi State Park), 3) Hapu'u Bay to Kapanaia Bay Gale O Kaili Heiau built for Kamehameha the Great's personal war god, Kuka'ilimoku; and the oldest heiau on the coast, Kapalama Heiau, are located in this area} 4) Kapanaia Bay to Keokea Bay (location of very ancient graves and Kuapalaha'a Heiau) We are expressing the concerns of several community groups, longtime established businesses in Kohala, and several hundred residents of Kohala. We believe that other groups and people in our community share like concerns, but we did not have enough time to contact all of them prior to this hearing.