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count for the main garden shall become one of the worlds largest.ƒ Regarding traffic, she <br />claims that there will be no discernable increase in traffic on Highway 19 and says nothing of the <br />traffic impacts on Leopolino Road and the Old Mamalahoa Highway. As we will explain in a <br />minute, the traffic impacts will be significant. On the matter of inclusion of the 300 acres, she <br />resists by stating that ‚future ideas for the €300 acres are extremely germinal and there are no <br />plans for development as acquisition has not been consummated.ƒ The reality, the garden has <br />already done extensive development of these lands and they contain the waterfalls that are <br />currently the main attraction of the garden. Regarding the CZM review, she does not recognize <br />that the CZM and SMA are two different regulatory systems and does not indicate that they will <br />do an assessment in relation to the CZM objectives. <br />The State Division of Forestry and Wildlife expressed concerns in a letter dated March 20, 2004, <br />you mentioned that earlier. They state that the ornamental industry has contributed to the <br />introduction of invasive plants to Hawai€i. The World Garden and particularly its sales of <br />nurseryitemscanonlyincreasethechanceofmoreinvasiveweedintroductions.Thegarden <br />states that it wants to some day have over 30,000 species!! And I think, I mean, Rene you had a <br />good idea about asking some other environmental groups about what could be the impacts. <br />As we mentioned before, the Planning Directors recommendation has flaws. The Planning <br />Directors recommendation is misleading. It states that there has been no objection from the <br />community. In fact, the community was not consulted and only a handful of the local residents <br />were notified. The Directors recommendation also states that the land is ‚unsuited for the uses <br />permitted in this district.ƒ How could land that is growing hundreds of kinds of plants be <br />unsuited for agricultural use? <br />We were looking at the gardens website last week and the gardens director, Lanny Neel, says <br />on the website, ‚Doing business in Hawai€i certainly has the same goals as on the mainland <br />(make money, network and make things happenƒ). The garden has mainland investors who <br />want to see a return on their investment. Maybe they should have invested in a garden like Nani <br />Mau that does receive tour buses, has a restaurant and gift shop, and most importantly is located <br />in an urban area or close to one. The website also says that several long time employees are no <br />longer with the garden and the new director has been here less than a year. Check it out. The <br />World Botanical Garden should have requested the Special Permit before starting the garden and <br />investing time and money. If you go to the garden today youll see a sign with an artists <br />rendering of their new visitors center and words indicating that this is the site where it will be <br />even though they still dont have the Special Permit to build it. Also, according to their <br />application they still have not officially acquired some of the lands that they are developing. It <br />seems the garden has the cart before the horse. <br />The traffic study they had prepared is flawed. Read it, its hard, its tough reading. Page 2, <br />Section B- Purposes and Objective of the Study - #1. ‚Provide supporting documentation for the <br />Application for Special Permit.ƒ This is clearly and admittedly biased. Section C says that the <br />objective of the project was to attract visitors from the background stream along Hawaii Belt <br />Road. This doesnt make sense because they are proposing to transport visitors in tour buses and <br />have 1200 visitors. I mean you dont pull that many people from the background stream and not <br />have any new traffic. <br />25EXHIBIT C <br /> <br />