|
KONG: First of all, I’d like to say mahalo for having me. I speak on behalf of
<br />Kupuna Ka Ohana O Na Kupuna O Kona. I’m the Chairman for that kupuna group. In a way
<br />the kupunas have had their say also on the Kona community planning. So I mahalo also the
<br />Committee for their wonderful work.
<br />My thing today is all of these born and raised here in Kona, the kupunas, are very frustrated with
<br />all these big developments coming up along the shoreline. As we all know that Kona has very
<br />few places that have sand beaches or any nice access to the beaches. So my thing is that I’d like
<br />to see that this Commission set -, 100 feet to me is not too much; I mean, it is not enough of a
<br />setback. You know very well that the shoreline is rising. So when you say 100 feet, do you -,
<br />for the high tide mark, do any of you go down and measure that or check that out? So that’s the
<br />kind of thing that -, see, a lot of things that have been happening that -, I know it happened with
<br />the State when I had made complaint with the things that happened along the shore of Keauhou,
<br />and no reply whatsoever has ever come back to me. So this is why I’m asking that question.
<br />And I’d like to see, have you people here, the Planning Commission, look into things like this
<br />when developers are planning to build.
<br />Another thing, too, is the golf course, sewage, away from the shoreline. You know very well
<br />that if there is a line break, it’s going to go down into the ocean. So there has to be set aside in a
<br />far away area where they can pump it up like they do in the golf course. So I’d like for this kind
<br />of setting to be a watchdog because I don’t like to see Kona get like Honolulu. I mean, we have
<br />enough -, look at Keauhou; once upon a time, you could see down the bay. Today you can see
<br />nothing; all you see is the water splashing up on a hill, on a pali. But we have to take our time.
<br />We need infrastructure before any buildings come up. I’m tired of paying tax. I’m retired
<br />already, you know. I thought I’d get away from paying taxes, but I’m still paying. So things like
<br />this, you know, the kupunas are frustrated because things like this happen. And taxes, taxes have
<br />been implemented on everyone. Our economy is bad now, and I think this is where you should
<br />slow down on your development. If they want to build in Kona, let them put infrastructure in.
<br />We didn’t ask for it.
<br />So I want to thank you very much. And this was my manao, my thoughts tonight that I wanted
<br />to share with you. And then please, so that we can keep our water clean -. And we have a lot of
<br />caves in our culture, why -, take like, look at Ooma; when you come from Kona going to the
<br />airport, it’s just a cliff. I used to camp with Josephine Kamoku, we raised our children down
<br />there – what you call, Pine Tree. We net down there, and at night we used to torch down there.
<br />And there were anchialine ponds in that area, too. And I wonder if those anchialine ponds are
<br />still there. Because we used to take our buckets and take the children up and wash them; not go
<br />in the pond, we used to dip water and pull it up. You know, these are the kind of things that
<br />everybody -, you folks should save this because your grandchildren may be the ones who are
<br />going to live in Kona, who knows. So it’s for the future-wise, for our children; it’s them we have
<br />to think of. We’ll be gone tomorrow, who knows. So anyway, mahalo for having me speak.
<br />Thank you.
<br />EXHIBIT B
<br />16
<br />
<br />
|