COM 0176.002 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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development" to avoid the problems of Waikiki, Honolulu and Kona, and to maintain the rural character of Ka'u. Taking Sides. People do not want to have adecision-making process that is based on having to "take sides" in the debate about resource use. They want instead to use the Island cultural process of talk story until a balance in resource use is found that works for the people in the present and in the future Ownership of Important Values. Ka u Preservation's focus on resource preservation for the ocean, land and turtles symbolizes for many the important values that they want to see addressed in policy choices. These values, it was found, along with taking care of the people, are embedded in the values of the area. Therefore it seemed misplaced to many of the people that Ka u Preservation would fight for these values as though they "owned them"-as if they had a monopoly or exclusive attachment to these values that did not exist in the rest of the community. This advocacy position created resentment and a concern that the organization does not care about the needs of the community. Moreover, the tactics of Ka u Preservation leadership created fear among the citizens for their safety, and a reluctance to go to formal meetings where confrontation rather than talk story is routine. Scale and Size. The majority of people had issues that concerned them regarding the Sea Mountain Five proposal. Scale and size of the development were common fears expressed as "not being able to absorb the development" into the existing communities. People had an intuitive sense that Sea Mountain Five was out of proportion to what would be benet-icial to the area. Even citizens who favor more economic development think that the size of the present Sea Mountain Five development proposal is too large. People don't believe that the community can absorb the growth-the additional demands from all the additional workers and visitors who will impact the infrastructure and the social support systems. "It is too big." Community Benefits Package. The absence of a completed process to build a community benefits package was of critical importance. Citizens wish for a safe environment in which to work out the details of a community benefits package that is of appropriate design to enhance their physical, social and economic environments. They want to be involved in working out the details of such a package. A Listening Proiect. Many residents expressed appreciation that decision makers would make an effort to listen to their points of view and a few expressed anger at what was considered a waste of taxpayers' money. 2 The Ka u Listening Project t