2010-03-05 TPD ENVISION - Laserfiche WebLink

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into creating the EDH 2025 Plan. I’m sure they were all driven by a love of Hilo and a sincere desire to retain and hopefully improve upon the so-called “unique character” of the Downtown area. It’s interesting to note that the website for this EDH Project contains a quote that’s attributed to me, namely: “My dream for the future would be for Hilo to remain the kind of community that it has always been.” Now I was born and raised here, and in making that statement I was really expressing nostalgia for the wonderful life that I have enjoyed as a resident of the city. However, I would not like it to be construed to mean that I am against change. I have seen change in Hilo during my lifespan; some good, perhaps some not too good. But change is inevitable. The greatest physical changes that have come about because of the two very damaging tsunamis that hit the city, the first in 1946, the second in 1960. In retrospect, and ruling out the more tragic human aspects of those events, they are perhaps the best thing that ever happened to enhance our appearance. I can remember what the makai side of Downtown Kamehameha Avenue looked like prior to 1946. It had a great deal of “character”, but it wasn’t necessarily pretty. Similarly, the 1960 wave engendered the redevelopment effort that provided the site for some much better looking buildings that exist today, as well as more extensive and appealing open recreational area than most cities of our size will ever enjoy. This very building is a result of that. All of which leads me to say that I think change is not only inevitable, it’s good and it’s necessary, even though at times it may change the physical character of a place. An example would be the County Building. You know, I spent 3 ½ years working for the County, beginning of 1964 through the middle of 1967. When I started we occupied the old Downtown County Building which was located on the Hamakua side of the Waianuenue and Kilauea Streets intersection. Now there was a very beautiful old building that was very much in the “character” of Downtown Hilo. But the County outgrew it and constructed the present building located right here, the one we’re in, which we moved into during the period that I worked there. The old site became a parking lot, much needed in Downtown Hilo and very much in accordance with the suggested EnVision Hilo standards. So what’s my point? My point is that that was change, and that was change for the better. Truly visionary people are very few and far between. Most of us confuse vision with a wish list for what we we’d like to see. I’m very much afraid that the proposed 2025 Plan offers just that. You know, I read the “Overarching Vision”, and I think that’s best done with a soft violin background, and in my mind it’s really just a wish list. And true vision goes much further out than 15 years, which is the timeframe that EnVision Hilo is using. Believe me, that’s just a bit blip. I speak from experience. Similar to what happened in 1946 and 1960 there will be great changes in the physical appearance of Downtown Hilo due to natural causes in the future . It’s not a question of if there will be another damaging tsunami, it’s a question of when. Perhaps some of the more solid concrete buildings will remain, perhaps they won’t, but most of the old wooden structures will eventually go. Mother Nature also provides termites and rot. Without renovation and/or rebuilding, most of the wooden buildings will eventually fail. And with the regulatory framework that exists and is being considered for even more restrictions, what Mother Nature does not take, simple business economics will. How so? Now let’s look at the notice sent out by the Planning Department to announce this hearing. Within the fourth paragraph it states, “These changes are not intended to act as barriers to development, but rather 3 EXHIBIT B