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Protect Punalu'u by acquisition-survey not valid Page 1 of 2 Murashige, Laura From: Janice Palma-Glennie (palmtree7@hawaiiantel.net] Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 222 PM ~~L G ~ (?~7 To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us - Subject: Protect Punalu'u by acquisition-survey not valid . Importance: High Janice Palma-Glennie P.O. Box 4849 Kailas-Kona, Hawaii 96745 Tel#:808-324-0093 Aloha, Council members, I could not support Resolution 169-07 more fervently. It's easy to see that once this developer gets its foot in the door, the flood gates of overdevelopment are sure to open, and a treasured, wild coastline will be a[ risk. Please find a letter I sent today to the editor of West Hawai'I Today, It further describes my feelings about the situation, which I hope is resolved to the benefit of the larger community - notjust those who believe [he fantasy that a developer will help them more than they can help themselves. Mahalo again for your consideration of my views on this most critical matter. LTE: I've never been polled on my feelings about any mega-development on Hawaii Island. And despite decades of voices crying out for protection of North and South Kona from the final scraping and paving and privatization of the'aina, the County almost without fail (and rarely without a legal fight) has given the "go-ahead" for just about any development scheme that ceme down the pike. Then came the triumphant election of a "new, improved", more publicly- (as opposed to corporately-) driven County Council majority. The creation of an Open Space Commission and the signing of a petition by over eight thousand registered Hawaii County voters demanding the protection of open space for the benefit of public took the cake. Power to the people, right? Not exactly. A copious public scoping process and decades of pleading to set aside wide open spaces for the public led to Punalu'u's place as "top dog' for County acquisition. But a new paradigm brought new challenges. Confusing wording kindled community infighting. Elation dissolved and, voila!: a developer now closes in on another opportunity to seize control and use of critical, coastal land. Councilman Yagong's plan 1) to give the developer more opportunity to re-present their Punalu'u plan and 2) to survey the residents of Ka'u about the public purchase of that land seems to have incensed an already smoldering situation. But will the community allow itself to fall into another "divide and conquer" trap and ultimately miss a golden opportunity to gain control and protection of Punalu'u coastline? Has the new Council paradigm of taking the longer view for the benefit of generations of residents been undermined, again, with ultimate "mighty buck" theft in the wind? Questions loom about the value and validity of the Punalu'u survey: Who will fill it out and mail it back? Will results be thrown out if only five percent (or fifty percent?) of residents respond, or will there be a re-survey? Will this same opportunity be given to other island region residents to weigh in on looming development proposals (i.e., at Honokohau/Kealakehe, O'oma II, etc....), even though the community through hearings, letters, petitions, and elections -has made it clear that it craves protection of Conservation and other critical areas from inappropriate development? Or will the decision to give the "green light" to the highest bidder prevail at Punalu'u another in a long line of mega-development mistakes that will bring more problems than it solves --just because of the results of a one-off survey? It's clear that Ka' u needs economic help, but residents are kidding themselves (and ignoring history) if they think that a resort development will fulfill its promises to the host community. (Traffic, sprawl, gates, get in line for public beach parking, soaring land prices...one needs go no further than Kona or South Kohala to see the vast "mega-resort" footprint.) Only work and cooperation will lead to the deep healing that public access and control of natural, open space can bring to families and communities. A mature approach means meeting the challenges that are bound to arise when a gift of land is comm. No. 349.153 Ref. Ta ~e~rN 7/2/2007 Ref. Date ~ L 3 2007