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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Honorable K. Angel Pilago, Chair <br /> and Members of the Committee on Planning <br /> County of Hawaii <br /> Committee on Planning <br /> Page 4 <br /> July 17, 2006 <br /> <br /> <br /> these lands would be used to house the workers needed for the new development, not to <br /> relieve the shortage of housing that already exists. <br /> <br /> Even if the housing problem is solved for these workers, the additional population that is <br /> generated by this project will need public services such as schools, will use highways, <br /> beach parks, and other public facilities. The government will have to build these <br /> facilities to keep up. <br /> <br /> Economists differentiate between "primary economic generators" and secondary <br /> economic activity that results from the primary economic generators. Resort development <br /> like this proposed project is a primary economic generator that will lead to further <br /> development. This project will speed up growth and development in Kona when we <br /> should be slowing down and catching up with what has already been approved. We need <br /> to make sure that we have the roads, schools, parks, affordable housing, and other <br /> necessities to deal with the growth that is already occurring and has already been <br /> approved before we can add new growth generators. <br /> <br /> Kona is already suffering from the side effects of too-rapid growth and development. <br /> Traffic is one symptom of the current development boom. These side effects have <br /> seriously reduced the quality of life in Kona. <br /> <br /> Almost all of the current development has occurred on sites that received zoning and <br /> other major land use approvals from the 1970's to the 1990's. There is a great deal of <br /> further development built into existing zoning. Thousands of units can be built within <br /> Hualalai Resort, Kuki'o, Keauhou, Kohanaiki, Hokuli'a, and other approved projects. <br /> This is enough to fuel construction activity and growth in the visitor and second home <br /> market for decades to come. <br /> The current administration has supported several major rezonings in Kona in the last five <br /> and a half years. The basic reason for supporting all of these rezonings was to increase <br /> housing opportunities. We need more housing for people of ordinary means, and <br /> unfortunately, most of the zoned areas do not have affordable housing conditions. These <br /> rezonings were meant to absorb the growth generated by resort-oriented development that <br /> had previously been approved. Without it, we will continue to price ordinary people out <br /> of the communities where they work. This project, however, is different: it will generate <br />