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<br /> TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF RESOLUTION 383-06
<br /> BY DAVID TARNAS,
<br /> MARINE AND COASTAL SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
<br /> PLANNING CONSULTANT TO JACOBY DEVELOMENT, INC.
<br /> JULY 18, 2006
<br /> Aloha -
<br /> Thank you for this opportunity to testify in support of Resolution 383-06, which is to direct the Planning
<br /> Director to study the feasibility of amending the General Plan for the makai lands of Kealakehe to
<br /> include Urban Expansion Area, Resort, and Open.
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<br /> This feasibility study is needed so that due consideration will be given to the plans of the landowners,
<br /> DLNR and DHHL, and their partner, Jacoby Development, Inc. for the mixed-use development project
<br /> on these lands, which would include retail, commercial, hotel and timeshare, manna support industrial,
<br /> as well as an expanded harbor, a major connector road, parks, community and open space.
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<br /> DLNR and DHHL both went through a formal multi-year process of gathering community input,
<br /> publishing Requests for Proposals, and competitively selecting the preferred developer. Both state
<br /> agencies chose Jacoby Development, Inc, and agreed that their adjacent parcels of land could be
<br /> developed in a master-planned mixed-use project. This process culminated in a master lease with
<br /> DHHL in January 2004 and a development agreement with DLNR in November 2005. As per these
<br /> agreements, a master development plan, a core infrastructure plan and a draft EIS are due by this
<br /> November. Included with my testimony today is a copy of our EISPN for your review.
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<br /> DHHL and DLNR based their land use plans on the County s General Plan which designated these lands
<br /> Urban Expansion Area, Resort, and Open before it was amended last February 2005. DHHL and
<br /> DLNR also based their plans on the Keahole to Kailua Development Plan, which designated this area for
<br /> an expanded harbor complex, a connector road, a shoreline park, and a new regional urban center for
<br /> Kona, relieving the pressures of urbanization on Kailua Village. Both the DHHL lease and the DLNR
<br /> development agreement include hotel and timeshare land use as essential components in the mix of land
<br /> uses envisioned for this area. Both agreements prohibit permanent residential on these lease lands.
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<br /> A master planned development that includes retail, commercial, hotel and timeshare, and marina-support
<br /> industrial activities will be able to provide the necessary financing of the project s substantial
<br /> community infrastructure, including a new harbor, a major connector road from the harbor to Kailua
<br /> Village, a major shoreline park, community areas, and other infrastructure. This mix of uses will also
<br /> provide a stable employment base close to residential growth areas planned for Kona. While these mix
<br /> of land uses may be allowed in an area designated only as Urban Expansion Area, a Resort
<br /> designation may be more appropriate. This is why it is important to do this feasibility study.
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<br /> Using smart growth design principles, this collaborative project of DHHL, DLNR and Jacoby
<br /> Development, Inc. intends to create a community-friendly place for residents and visitors alike, that uses
<br /> the best in transportation planning, environmentally-sensitive and energy-efficient design. Included
<br /> with my testimony are letters sent previously to the Planning Department to support the General Plan
<br /> amendment that came from DLNR, DHHL, Rocky Mountain Institute, the national Smart Growth
<br /> America organization, Dr. Earl Bakken and others.
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<br /> Mahalo for your consideration of this request to pass Resolution 383-06 so that planning for this project
<br /> can move forward and it can be a part of the solution to the many growth-related challenges being faced
<br /> by the Kona community today. q
<br /> Comm. No.
<br /> Ref. To:Preaeerd
<br /> Ref. Uate
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