2004-01-16 TAINALOA.1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The rationale for my support of this project is that in the Puna region, District 5, weÓre one of the poorest underserved regions in this community. Our recreational opportunities are slim to none. I want to identify for this body that in the Puna region in District 5, in any County playground or State playground that can be identified, there is not one piece of recreational equipment for the youth. IÓll state it again, there is not one piece of recreational equipment on any of our State or County parks in the District 5, Puna Makai region. With this itÓs said that, the opportunities that a golf course, a tennis court and a swimming pool would afford our citizens, not only in Ainaloa, but the greater Puna Makai region, I think, goes without being said, the infrastructure opportunities and improvements that this project would afford the Ainaloa community. But more than community of improving the roadway system but, also, when you look at this roadway and you look at the historic value of the Ainaloa Boulevard, which is commonly called the Puna Emergency Access Road, this road affords the people in the excess of 20,000 people, an alternate route out of the Puna region if there is a disaster or if there is a blockage of Highway 130. This artery is very important to us. So important that in 1997 this County applied for a Federal grant and received $1.8 million of Federal taxpayers funds to resurface that entire roadway system, along with the roadway system that it connects with Road 8. With those monies, this County purchased a connector lot that would connect Hawaiian Acres and the Ainaloa Subdivision, correction, Ainaloa Boulevard so that these two roadways could connect and provide for an alternate route out of Puna, or a route for the people in Hawaiian Acres to have the opportunity to go into the makai region where a lot of people work, a lot of people bring their children to school, a lot of people have baby-sitting and child care issues. My feeling is that this roadway system allows our communities to operate as one. WeÓre not looking at being divisive here. WeÓre looking at trying to provide for all the communities so that we have access to the services, as well as having emergency access up and down, mauka and makai. The public safety issue that weÓre dealing with in that roadway system goes without being said. Our firefighting capabilities would be greatly enhanced if we had the opportunity to have a well at that location which ultimately could provide us with another tool, another weapon, if you will, in our firefighting arsenal, which during the drought seasons in the Puna Makai and Upper Puna regions becomes very challenged. Historically, this road has been a private road; and, historically, the Ainaloa community has tried to provide an access through this roadway system. But been challenged as a community from a liability issue where people are traveling on this roadway system, and I may add itÓs a private roadway system at this particular time. Although that can be debated, once the County spends $1.8 million in resurfacing that road, I think that this County has liability whether we want to admit it or not, my opinion only. 9