2007-04-05 THICDC - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.718 acres to the HICDC. That is a clever equivocation. The point of fact, what we have here is a deal. The deal is that the developer will give the land to HICDC provided, and only provided, that you the Planning Commission and the County Council will give the developer something of very substantial value, a rezoning of his A-20 land to A-10 and A-5. I have repeatedly asked the developer to tell me what the real terms of the deal are. How much more money will he get for the smaller parcels than would be the case of the existing zoning. At one of the meetings he mentioned the fact that he had gone to the Planning Director and asked for rezoning down to Ag-10 and Ag-5 and was denied. So obviously this issue of low income housing would never have come up if it hadn’t been for a deal, a quid pro quo. How much more money will we get for these smaller parcels than would be the case with the existing zoning? He claims that he doesn’t know. I have too much respect for these businessmen to believe that that’s true. I ask you as the Hawaii County Planning Commission to determine the value of what you are being asked to give the developer and consider whether it is in fact a fair trade. To put it simply, what would this land sell for today if you don’t approve the application? What would the land sell for today if you do approve the application? The real donation here is not by the developer to the HICDC, it is the donation of value by the taxpayers of Hawaii County to the developer. I urge you before making a final decision in this matter to determine, and I’m sure it can be determined and I’m sure that appraisers are available, to determine how much you are being asked to give them before you make any decision in this matter. Thank you for your attention. GRAHAM: Thank you. Any questions, Commissioners? I have a question for Mr. Yuen in regard to your testimony. When Commissioner Siracusa left, when she had to leave a short while ago, she asked me on the way out, she said the thing that strikes me about this is that we have two seemingly unrelated parcels appearing on the same rezoning ordinance and wondered why that was the case and all. And it seems like that speaks to this issue of a deal. So I guess my question to you is do these two segments each stand on their own two feet or are they put together because there is some kind of a deal or whatever? YUEN: The agreement, my understanding of the agreement to donate the property is contingent upon the rezoning of the Ag-20 area to the Ag-10. GRAHAM: Thank you. Sir, you may go ahead now. ROPER: Yes, sir. GRAHAM: Name and address first, please. ROPER: Richard Roper. My address is 28-1219 Old Mamalahoa Highway. I live directly across the street from the proposed residential subdivision that’s being talked about in this proposal to you. I’ll give you a moment to think about all the personal reasons I might have for being against it; and those would all be correct. There’s noise, there’s lights, there’s cars, there’s tvs, there’s a great degradation in the living environment of that area. But I have two particular worries that are not private, they’re public, and these have been brought up before. One of them has to do with the fact that the subdivision empties out onto Old Mamalahoa EXHIBIT D 20