COM 0634.004 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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September 5, 2007 Marie Aguilar P.O. Box 1874 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96745 County of Hawaii Planning Commission Chairman Angel Pilago Dear Councilman Pilago, My name is Marie Aguilar, and I have spoken to this Planning Commission in support of the Ban on Superstores in Hawaii County. The new Communication 634 -Bill 165 which was initiated by Planning Director Chris Yuen has a new approach to begin allowing a zoning district for "Superstores". While the bill attempts to convince some that this bill will regulate where the "Superstores" will be built, it does not go far enough to make requirements of that type of "District". It is merely a hollow attempt to appease us that we will have a new zone which it can be built in the future or not at all. The Ban of Superstores would disallow the building of Superstores in the future. The Ban of Superstores which was introduced by Councilman Higa was intended to support small businesses throughout Hawaii Island. Bill 165 is intended to make the right choice for this community but it does not regulate or attempt to regulate all lands in Hawaii County. While we know the Hawaiian Home Lands traditionally have no zoning restrictions on building, there is nothing in place that we can site today, that will discourage the building of "Superstores"on Hawaiian Home Lands and DNLR lands. We are faced with a huge crisis of overbuilding commercial here in Kailua Kona, and it will smother small businesses until they are gone. Remember the real attraction to the Hawaiian Islands is that we are a tourist destination. To commercialize Kailua Kona and other parts of this island will only drive our main economic force somewhere else. There are thousands of tourist destinations to choose from and those small towns, quaint villages, even cities like San Francisco, Monterrey, Carmel, and Honolulu are not giving into "Superstores" 634.4- . ~ , Rif. Da~_