2007-05-04 THICDC ORI - Laserfiche WebLink

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Thank you. Could you all three raise your right hand. And do you swear or affirm to tell the truth before the Hawaii County Planning Commission today on this matter? TESTIFIERSI do. GRAHAM:Thank you. Ill start with Mr. Miller, and just give your name and address first and then try to be concise with your testimony. MILLER:I will. GRAHAM:Thank you. MILLER:You know, Im a university professor. I think I can probably make myself heard without a microphone. HAYASHI:Can you use the microphone, please. MILLER:Oh, I do need to use the microphone? SIRACUSA:Its for the stenographer. MILLER:Okay. Hello. DARROW:Its on. MILLER:It is on, okay, fine. I submitted written testimony the last time, you have that. I was intrigue by the question that Commissioner Siracusa asked at the very beginning of this because it really strikes to the heart of it. She says Why are we having these two proposals at the same time? And in my written testimony at the last meeting I brought up this point as a scholar of language. Language is important. And when this whole process began, the developer came and said were making a donation. And then I said, Well, why dont you donate land next to the existing urbanized area? He said, Well, because that would be too expensive. So that kind of crossed the line of privacy. I felt I had a right to ask What are the costs? So the correct answer I think, Commissioner Siracusa, to your question is this is a deal. Its a deal. Its a deal as you as a Commissioner is being asked to support so that the County Council will, in effect, write a fairly large amount, the equivalent of a fairly large check to Mr. Inouyes corporation. Now I dont object to business. I think thats a legitimate activity. Its just that as a taxpayer I have asked at meeting, after meeting, after meeting, this last meeting, and I would ask it again, What is the deal? How much more money will the developer get for selling his property in five-acre parcels rather than the present required 20 acres? Now I know that there was some denial of the statement. But at one of the meetings it was stated that the developer went to the Planning Commission, rather the Planning Director and said will you allow me to subdivided this into five- and ten- acre parcels; and the answer was no. So they came back again and said, Well, tell you what, if I can subdivide some of this into 5- and 10-acre parcels, will you allow me to do that if I give this property to the development corporation? And the answer was, Sure, thats a good deal, we want to have affordable housing. Okay, so Id like to focus on that. This is a deal. This is a deal that if you approve it you would be recommending to the County Council. Now can I go over to the map up here? I really will keep it short. 18EXHIBIT A