COM 0349.943 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Controlled Development. People want some form of economic development but want to be very careful about what it is. People are most concerned about the scale of development. They want "controlled development" to avoid the problems of Waikiki, Honolulu and Kona, and to maintain the rural character of Ka'u. Takin Sg ides. 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, along with taking care of the people, are embedded in the values of the larger community. 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. Their advocacy position created resentment and a concern that the organization does not care about the needs of the community. Moreover, the tactics and methods used to implement "preservation" by Ka'ta 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 beneficial 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. Residents 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. The Listening Project. 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. Conclusions The people want a future that secures the natural environment and increases their economic opportunity to enhance the quality of their lives. Neither of the two major options on the table--buying a part of the Sea Mountain land or accepting the Sea Mountain Five proposal in its present state-- moves the community to where it wants to go. Further, the forced choice of having to choose between only these two options is out of sequence with the proposed forthcoming Ka' u Community Development Plan. Contact: Kevin Preister, James Kent Associates, P.O. Box 1214, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745, (808) 895-5356 James Kent Associates 2