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Murashige, Laura <br /> From: Tom Walton [twalton@povn.com] ' <br /> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 8:38 AM ~ <br /> To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us yti~~ 2~ <br /> Subject: Bill 51 <br /> t~~t~~ . <br /> Aloha, <br /> If the Planning Commission's decision on SMA 05-005 on Thursday is a demonstration of the <br /> best management of the process, then the process has either been misinterpreted or the <br /> process itself is severely flawed. To allow the channelization of a flood zone without <br /> requiring an environmental impact statement is beyond my comprehension. Who is responsible <br /> when the rain comes and the flood comes? At the meeting on Thursday Chris Yuen assured the <br /> commission that they weren't liable for decisions they made. <br /> David Bills, the "drainage engineer" says that they are only responsible to make sure that <br /> the development doesn't add any more water to the flood zone and was quite cavalier about <br /> the ease with which this could be done. Geez I wish I was that smart. I would have had to <br /> at least drill a few test holes to find out if the ground was actually permeable enough to <br /> absorb all of the water that is currently dissipated over the 10 acres the flood zone now <br /> covers. <br /> <br /> - Greg Moores, the land use consultant, explained that it was impossible to determine the <br /> impact that this development alone would have on the flood zone, restating that they are <br /> only responsible to make sure that the development doesn't add any more water to the flood <br /> zone and couldn't determine the collective effect of all of the new developments in the <br /> flood zone. <br /> Again I'm just a layman but wouldn't it make sense to have an EIS done for the entire <br /> flood zone before allowing any alteration or development? After all the issue is not "who <br /> do we sue" as much as will all of the development collectively cause there to be more <br /> damage than if we just let Mother Nature do her best, after all she's the one who controls <br /> how much water will come gushing down the hill. <br /> Speaking of water gushing down the hill, should we not take a close look at what will <br /> happen when the new mauka-makai connector which runs vertically downhill becomes a water <br /> Slide? Wouldn't it make more sense to just complete the Alii Parkway to Kuakini? It would <br /> cross the property horizontally and allow use of both splits of the Waiaha floodway to <br /> shed the water. It would intersect Kuakini on a straight section rather than a curve with <br /> limited sight distance. <br /> I am also curious about what it costs developers to get the permitting required for a <br /> project of this size. Not including the commercial development the "Kona Sea Crest" <br /> project will be 289 units as proposed. <br /> Developers in California pay as much as $2500.00 per unit for building permits. This is <br /> for reference only, I'm sure the county understands the value of these permits as well as <br /> sewer attachment fees. <br /> Comm. No. l , <br /> Ref. To: <br /> 1 Ref. Date 1~0 - <br /> <br />