COM 0056.013 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2. The County acquired the parcel for the FirelPolicelGym precisely for its location: it would allow fue, police and ambulance services to get to the emergency scene more quickly, without battling and being slowed down by traffic in Pahoa town. At the preliminary town meetings called to inform the public and solicit input, traffic was a major topic of discussion. 'Then, when the Fire Dept's plan went to the Planning Commission, traffic was once again a concern. If a high traffic business goes onto Mr. Gardner's parcel, or any other parcel on Hwy 130, it will slaw dawn emergency response time and lives and property may suffer as a result. The more commercial development on the highway, the worse this will be. There are no lanes where drivers can rum off to enter the parcel from a high speed highway, and when they try to exit there are no merging lanes either. This development will worsen an already dangerous situation. 3. Pahoa Weed and Seed has been working diligently to define strategies for improving the business climate in Pahoa and creating jobs within the community. A strip mall along the highway will kill the town. Many years ago, when the Fahoa Bypass was first proposed, there was considerable concern that, should it be developed, P81toa would become a ghost town. The community's concerns were assuaged by a promise that its interests would be protected by a policy of no commercial development on the highway. If you pass this SLU Boundary Amendment and Change of Zone, the County government will be breaking a promise to the community. 4. Finally, Pahoa has been undergoing a CDP process. Lots of people who never got active before have seen this as an opportunity to make a difference, tell the County what we want to see (and not see) in our future, and put some positive new policies and ordinances into place. There have been lots of meetings and lots of time spent in private research and in brainstorming. One of the repeated and cleat themes is that the plan created by the community will ask that no commercial development along Hwy. 130 be enacted as law. To approve this project, which is counter to the wishes of the community, would be a slap in the face and give the anti-government naysayers the right to say "I told you so - government can't be trusted -the whole idea of the community determining its own future is shibai." Will you prove them right? We hope not. Please deny Mr. Gardener's requests. ~y~_~ ~c i livivv L Q~u~FAL~ Rene Siracusa, President, Malama O Puna