2005-03-04 Planning Commission Minutes

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The Hawaii Farm Bureau supports the concept of the Pahala Plantation Farm Lands in Kau, Big Island. This project will provide the farmers the opportunity to purchase fee simple prime agricultural lands as well as provide an economic stimulus for Kau area residents. While there are still some questions as to how this agricultural subdivision will work, we believe that if done right, it could set a model for future projects like this statewide. We encourage the County Planning Commission to be vigilant in making sure that this project remains a bona fide agricultural subdivision. Enforcement of existing laws and follow through is the key. Thats for our Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. I would like to now to read into the record our written testimony from the Big Island Farm Bureau of which I am the president. I will only read a portion of that particular document again. The Big Island Farm Bureau strongly supports the preservation of agricultural lands on the Big Island, especially those that are currently in or have been in productive agriculture. Such is the caseofthelandsintheapplicationbeforethePlanningCommissiontoday.Thoselandswere previously cultivated in sugar cane for many decades and provided jobs and a plantation lifestyle to those in the area. The proposed agricultural project will not only preserve agricultural land, but it will provide former sugar plantation workers and others living in the area the opportunity to acquire land to farm and thereby being able to produce diversified agricultural products. This project will provide agribusiness opportunities, agricultural jobs, and economic revitalization to the area. In closing, the Big Island Farm Bureau urges the Planning Commission to approve this application for a change of zone, with the condition that there are assurances from the applicant that this project will be a bona fide agricultural endeavor. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. ALAMEDA:Thank you, Norman. Any questions for our testifier? Okay, thank you. Moving on -? Could you please state your name and address, and you may proceed. OBRA:Good afternoon. My name is Rusty Obra and Ive lived here now for the past 4 years. I moved here from the mainland originally. I would like to thank you for having the opportunity to speak before this Commission today. I have a comment though regarding the scheduling of this meeting. The timing is not good. I did not know about the meeting, not until Anna Cariaga called me up last Monday. And, also, I received a letter from Mr. Savio, it was stnd dated March 1 , and we received it here in the afternoon of March 2. So I would like to make it clear that my presence here is only on my own opinion. I am the president ofthe Kau Coffee Growers Cooperative, but Im not speaking on their behalf. I understand that this meeting has beenarrangedpurposely,Iguess,mostlyforthefarmersbecauseweareinvolvedinthisproject. But the scheduling is not right for us. Most of the farmers, about 75 percent of the membership, 32