2011-04-07 EXHIBITA - Laserfiche WebLink

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day trying to get from Bayfront to Hilo and vice versa. It will offer alternatives to fuel-based transportation and encourage healthy lifestyles. All of these are very important factors, in my opinion, when I watch people trying to negotiate on their bicycles in the various areas, or wheelchairs, or strollers, or even walking. It will mitigate public safety issues involving public access to the shoreline recreational and infrastructural facilities, such as the Mooheau Bus Terminal, Hilo Harbor, Wailuku River, Hilo Bayfront Park and the soccer fields. It will improve the quality of life for all who utilize the trail. There is an increased awareness of Hilo Bay as a community asset and a desire to protect and enhance the area. For example, the Malama Kaipalaoa Working Group, Connections Public Charter School, Mokupapapa Discovery Center through NOAA, all of these organizations are involved in restoring the area. And, finally, it ranked very high in the EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 Community-based Vision and Living Action Plan, which had been updated and adopted by the Hawai‘i County Council. Thank you, Commissioners, for considering this application. KERN: Thank you. Any questions of the testifier? I see none. Thank you. Ms. Steckel, you may begin, name and address, and you may begin your testimony. STECKEL: My name is Anita Politano Steckel. I don’t do it to torture people, but I use both. I live at 31 Halaulani Street in Hilo. This Hilo Bayfront Trails project is well represented in the EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 Plan. We think of this as the sort of jewel in the crown for many actions, EDH 2025 Plan. This project embraces all the many ideas our community has expressed for providing greater access to Hilo Bay, and for preserving our open spaces and helping to make them active recreational areas for both residents and tourists. The Bayfront Trails is truly a gift to our community. I've been here long enough to recall this area over the many years. And I probably won't live to see the completion of this project, but it's wonderful to dream of. KERN: Thank you very much. Any questions from the Commissioners for this testifier? Seeing none, thank you so much. James Leonard, you may begin. Name and address and away you go. LEONARD: My name is James Leonard. My address is 1100 Ainalako Road, Hilo, Hawai‘i. I'm also a member of the Vision Keepers which is a voluntary group that has been involved with the planning for Downtown Hilo, the EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 Plan, and continue to be working with that group. And Mr. Kern, Chairman and Commissioners, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony. We have actually submitted written testimony; and rather than repeat the written testimony, I want to just emphasize a couple of points from our testimony. I wanted to note from the initial start of the development of the EDH 2025 Plan starting in 2004 on up to the recent approval of the plan’s five-year update, there have been substantial amount of time, effort, and community involvement that has gone into this planning effort - countless presentations, meetings, workshops, town meetings and special events. Throughout that process we repeatedly heard about the importance of strengthening the connection and creating walking access from Downtown to the Bayfront. Implementing or implementation of the Bayfront Trails project will not only help strengthen this connection between Downtown Hilo and the Bayfront, 5 EXHIBIT B