PL-USE-2022-000006 J. PRIES TESTIMONY (LATE) 05.18.23

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Gary J. and Emily Pries 73-1222 Kauilaniakea Drive Kailua-Kona,HI 96740 May 18, 2023 To: The Leeward Planning Commission Re: Renegade Tower Use Permit Application (PL-USE-2022-000006) Aloha, Thank you for accepting this letter of testimony.As residents of Kauilaniakea Estates subdivision and neighbors of the proposed cell phone tower project,we are opposed to this application. We have attempted to go through all of the Use Permit Application background documents since receiving notice on May 6th that the documents were available online. Concerns for our neighborhood: The proposed tower will be dominant in the long-established view plane of our home and our neighborhood, Kauilamakea Estates. It will have a significant visual impact on the character of the surroundings. Such a change will likely impact our property values as well. The monopole from a long distance may look like a tree,but from our home and those of our neighbors, it will look like what it is—a huge green utility pole with panels around the top of it attempting to "blend in". The nearest tall trees in the area are a few silver oaks-and they are very tall. Based on the simulation photos in the application and the actual view from our home,the monopole will be significantly taller than those few silver oaks. Questions about the application: Regarding the "Attachment to Special Permit or Use Permit Applications" document (p. 26 of 154 pg. background report): Item #7. The applicant does not include evidence of a commitment from a minimum of two service providers as required by the County. (Only Verizon is committed,with "interest"from T-Mobile and no response from AT&T). Item #8. The County asks the applicant to identify sites where "diligent but unsuccessful" effort was made to install or co-locate on an existing tower or support structure. The applicant's response did not identify any sites or give an explanation of those efforts. The response simply states that there are "no tall towers or buildings in this area"that would suffice. How broad is "this area"?Where are the nearest existing towers for any of these three providers? Has reasonable effort been made to work with existing facilities? As stated in their application, Renegade Towers is a tower infrastructure company. They have a vested interest in building new towers.