COM 0766.081 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Caroline Smith November 28, 2006 County Council Chairman Stacy Higa County Council Members Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 209 Hilo, HI 96720 Written Statements Regarding Bill 251 Aloha Council Members, My name is Caroline Smith, and I am a member of the Kamaka and Kanuha ohanas, and an owner of the 70 acre parcel of land adjacent to the proposed Kona Coffee Estates. I wish to state my support to the Council for this project. I am writing this to you because, unlike a lot of vocal opponents, I have to work for a living during the daytime as a teacher at Kahakai Elementary School, before I teach the kids paddling for Kai Opua Canoe Club. I can assure you that I am part of the "non-vocal majority" that supports this project, and that there are 40-50 Kona residents who do not oppose this project for every one of the shrill opponents this project has attracted. The developers of this project have been open and communicative with us for a long time, and they have gone out of their way to address some concerns and issues that our family has had on the project. We are finally going to be able to use our family land because of their efforts and installation of infrastructure. I have particular issues with statements made by Sammie Stanbro about mauka access. The Kona Coffee Estates lands, along with our family lands, the Yokoyama lands, and other parcels have had and still have legal access to their properties from Mamalahoa Highway via Ke'ala Kauwila Road, which is on the old maps but has been abandoned below Sammie's home. This road runs right by Sammics' property, and the Kona Coffee Estates developers agreed not to improve that access at her request, thereby limiting increased traffic for Sammie and her project opposing neighbors. The developers went and obtained an agreement from another mauka neighbor to use his roadway access to Mamalahoa Highway (if necessary) for emergency access in case of a disaster in the mauka section of the area, but Sammie and her neighbors approached that owner and induced him to withdraw his offer of use of that roadway for emergency use. Sammie moved here from Oregon about ten years ago, but has obviously not learned about the Aloha spirit or how to malama your neighbors, when she and her neighbors place a higher value on their privacy and seclusion than on public safety! If Sammie and her neighbors want a mauka road, then I support Kona Coffee Estates improving Ke'ala Kauwila Road and using it for mauka access. It is not up to some mauka property owners to decide our access rights that have existed for over a hundred years to suit their own purposes! Comm. No. 1G~ Ref. To~rei~Md Ref. Date NOV 9 2006