COM 0493.051 2000-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

-2 - As a local community group, the Kohanaiki `Ghana can play an active role in the stewardship and maintenance. We are at a very important crossroads in the struggle to acquire Kohanaiki for a park. Our hope, since 1990, is that the County, State, and Federal Government would work together with the community to establish a public / private partnership to acquire Kohanaiki. This may be our opportunity. The Open Space designation is a step in the right direction. Public acquisition would be a better solution and fair to both the public and the private property owner. We can avoid the "takings" issue and move forward towards a pro -active plan. In July 1991 Mrs. Mink introduced HR 3140, to direct the Sec. Of the Interior to acquire 25 acres along the shoreline of Kohanaiki as authorized in the original legislation to establish the Kaloko-Honokohau National Park. The Department of Interior has expressed interest in adding the 25 acre Congressionally Authorized Park Boundary to the National Park. They are allowed to add 5% more land to the park without an Act of Congress. In November 1991, the County of Hawaii unanimously adopted Res.380-91 which supported Mrs. Mink's resolution noting " it is of extreme importance to recognize the significant cultural, environmental and recreational value of the whole Kohanaiki area" This acquisition has not yet taken place, but may play an important role in piecing together the acquisition opportunity. Located between Kaloko-Honokohau National Cultural Park to the south and OTEC the Natural Energy Lab to the north, it is appropriate that Kohanaiki be a place where traditional Hawaiian values are comobined with modern technologies. We envision a park and multi cultural center utilizing innovative community stewardship and management techniques. As a 501(c)3 non profit organization, the Kohanaiki `Ohana is committed and dedicated to this vision and will work together with the State, County and Federal Government as well as the private sector to reach our goals. Our consultant, Pete Dangermond, has been working with the Kohanaiki `Ghana for over a year to develop a strategy for acquiring the land and create a conceptual plan for a Park as well as an Economic component to support the acquisition, taxes and development. The Dangermond Group specializes in park and environmental and cultural based planning. His consulting service has been in the area of natural and historic land preservation. Assistance involves helping locally based not profit groups fight inappropriate development, mediating between landowners/ developers and community groups, finding funding for land acquisition, negotiating the purchase of the lands, and helping promote positive solutions. While Parks Director for the State of California, Pete helped preserve thousands of acres of land for public use. The Dangermond Group is willing to participate with Chris Yuen and the County to further these design plans.