COM 0560.049 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2) My second point relates to our system of representative government. Council members' primazy job is to represent constituents. As we've just seen from the recent election, the people give you the mandate to govern (or not, in some cases). It is important to remember that elected legislators govern on behalf of the people, not on behalf of the corporations who want to invest and turn a quick buck. The vast majority of your constituents, probably 98 or 99%, who have spoken out oppose this project. At the two informal community meetings held at the Women's Club for residents on the north side of the proposed project, 100% of the speakers, maybe 60 of us, opposed the project, and everyone requested that the connecting roads from the development onto our already overcrowded streets be removed from the plan (I'll get to this point next). I don't know how many attended the separate meetings held for the Sunrise Ridge residents, but I'd guess similar numbers turned out. Over 500 people have signed petitions urging you to deny the zoning change, and quite a few citizens have come forwazd and offered valid and reasonable testimony appealing to you to deny the project for various reasons. I'm sure you would have heazd even more opposition if more meetings had been held when working people aze able to attend. At the last council meeting, 23 or 24 people spoke, and only 2 of them favor the project. That is a 10:1 ratio opposed to the project. I remind you that a landowner's ability to build a project is a privilege, not a right. Citizens have a right to be fairly represented when they make their wishes known. We have made our wishes known to you many times. 2) My third issue relates to the connector roads, from the proposed project azea to Wiliwili and Oma'o streets. At our first community meeting, the one in which Virginia Goldstein presided, with all the community's uproaz against the connecting streets, she agreed to remove the streets from the plan. All this time, no one has testified against the connecting streets because we all believed they were no longer under consideration, not even an issue. I will tell you that the single biggest problem right now in the north side neighborhoods is traffic. There is traffic at all hours, day and night, and much of it comes from hot rod drivers burning rubber and revving quickly to high speeds on these narrow roads. If connecting roads aze built, you aze only adding expensive infrastructure to the hot- rodders' playground at taxpayer (or developer's) expense. Several years ago someone speeding down Liko Lehua Street took out my neighbor's mailbox, my mailbox, and a stop sign. My mailbox was ripped from the pole and dragged across my driveway, leaving a scaz in the cement. The county came the next day to repair the sign, but my neighbor and I were left to pay for the repair of the mailboxes. This was at 11:30 pm, and so many neighbors heazd the crash that about 20 people came out of their houses to see what had happened. No one, at that hour, really saw the driver, but some did see the caz as it sped away. Needless to say, no one was picked up for this reckless driving, and similaz irresponsibile driving continues to this day. I'm surprised that, as far as I know, no one has yet been injured.