COM 0493.063 2000-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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;1~~1' z~l•~lvi:-~ To: The Hawaii County Council Planning Committee ~PggA_._a_____~_- _ y.._____..-_..~,,~,~..~; Date: June 20, 2002 ~r~-~--_---~--_."~ C:~unty Ccasan~il ~°,-~-M-~ . Aloha and welcome. The present draft of the General Plan takes a giant step towards solid land use planning in the County of Hawaii. It's not perfect by any means but the structure is there to make it a useful document to help guide Hawaii County through the next ten years. The provision that Regional Plans may be adopted as ordinance as supplements to the General Plan is key to the empowerment of local communities to make the decisions that affect their future. Upon adoption of this General Plan, the South Kona community will immediately set out to create a regional plan that reflects the wishes and desires of South Kona. The new Land Use Planning Allocation Guide maps reflect important needed changes which have been asked for by our community throughout this two year process in developing this General Plan revision. Increased conservation and open designations for our coastal lands is a critical ingredient of a bright and viable future for South Kona. Conservation designations for the coastal lands of Keopuka up to the Old Government Road as well as the 2300- acre strip of coastal land between Napoopoo and Honaunau reflect the desires of our community. Continued efforts by large landowners to subvert these designations violate the public process that this community has actively supported and participated in. Why is the landowners' business always done behind closed doors, while the citizens follow the mandated proce- dure? Why have we not seen representatives of Lyle Anderson's companies at these General Plan meetings even once to share with the Planning Department, the County Council, and the public their mana`o relative to this General Plan revi- sion? Increased protection for agricultural lands is also contained in the new plan. For the first time the entire Kona coffee belt is designated as important agriculture. This designation makes it much more difficult for developers to upzone these lands for development. Protection of the agricultural district is imperative to the continued success of the Kona coffee industry and the emergence of a wide array of diversified products. The fact that some makai lands that are marginally suitable for traditional agriculture are included in the Impor- tant Agriculture designation is designed to buffer the agricultural district from unwanted super luxury subdivisions that serve to skew land values in the ag district. Intrusion into the Ag district by golf courses, resorts, and quasi-agricultural subdivisions, drives land values out of site and eventually leads to the demise of agriculture altogether. We've seen this process occur time and again here in Hawaii as well as on the mainland. Santa Clara Valley in Northern California, which is now known as Silicon Valley, is a case in point. Once one of the most productive agricultural valleys in the world, hardly a stitch of open land can now be found. Ironically, much of the current investment in West Hawaii is driven by the same individuals who have consumed massive amounts of land and resources in California to feed their appetite for profits at all costs. To us here in Kona the land, the waters, the culture mean more to us than money. We will not stand by and have our children's future sold from beneath us. The members of Keep Kealakekua Wild and Protect Keopuka Ohana call on the County Council to adopt this General Plan as written without further delay. o, ack elly Comrm. N®. Coordinator, Keep Kealakekua Wild Vice-President, Protect Keopuka Ohana File No.:,,~,,,, Ref. To: Ref. >~ate JuL 0 3 2002 _