2020-10-15 Leeward Exh D (SPP 20-000219)

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SHPD representatives visited Puakea Ranch at my invitation prior to us being added to the register. I am very, very proud of the work and accomplishments I have contributed to our community by saving these historic homes and the stories of the families who called them home by placing this entire site on the historic register. It has been an immense financial undertaking and has taken much time. But Puakea Ranch is obviously very worth it to me. One thing I was certainly not prepared for in this 14-year journey was the burden of placing Puakea Ranch on the state historic register. This adds undue pressure on my Special Permit application. Getting the Ranch onto the register meant that I now needed an environmental assessment. An environmental impact study, cultural assessments, archaeological surveys, land surveys, and traffic assessments, as well as Water, Fire, all of these agencies are part of an environmental assessment. Had I not placed the property on the register for protection into the future, an EA would have not been requirement, adding so much more work, time, and money, not only on my part but also many county staff members who would spend countless hours working on my file, which I very much appreciate. That being said, I believe historic preservation is very important, and it's meant to be shared. There seems to be no point to collecting these stories, photos, and preserving these homes of the past, if you have no one to share them with or to learn from and enjoy them. Who am I preserving it for, if not the community and for the visitors wishing for a more authentic experience than the typical Hawaiian resorts? The Kawamoto, Lewis, Shim, Stevens, and Muniz (ph) families are all still here in Kohala and always welcomed at Puakea. I do not feel the best use for this historic property is to be closed off to the community and lived in by a gentleman rancher sitting up on top of this 33 acres, not doing much agriculture, as demonstrated by many of the homeowners in the ag-civic subdivisions surrounding Puakea Ranch. This seems counterintuitive to historic preservation and to the North Kohala CDP values of building and sustaining agriculture in general. Please consider the following quote from the GoFarm Hawaii website: "local and global studies show that agri-tourism/rural tourism, outdoor/adventure activities, eco-travel and hands-on educational experiences are key to sustainable business models in isolated island locations, like Hawaii. Especially when it comes to agriculture." Small businesses in Hawaii are vital to the economic stability of the rural communities-based support. And, unfortunately, small farms don't really make it in Hawaii without this added tourism mechanism. Our guests shop, dine,play, explore, and support all of the small businesses in our community, including small farms. It goes without saying that allowing my overnight guests to host gatherings on site puts money into the pockets of local small vendors coming to support celebrations, be that an anniversary, a birthday, a wedding or a baby shower. These celebrations are not loud, drunken, disruptive parties. Most of they go unnoticed. Puakea Ranch is an ideal location for a community gathering spot because of gorgeous outdoor setting for special occasions and appropriate gateway to welcome both the local island community and the visitors into our historic and agricultural communities of Hawi and Kapa`au. It is my hope that you were all able to read over the 100 support of letters sent to Mr. Yee and to all of the commissioners prior today. You've met my counsel, but I did want to introduce my counsel, Ms. Tina Ohira and Mr. Doug Chin. I did want to say thank you very much, 12 EXHIBIT D