2009-07-24 TPALAMANUI - Laserfiche WebLink

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WATANABE: Okay? Okay, letÓs see, can I swear you in then? Would you raise your right hand, please? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth now before the Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: Yes. WATANABE: And as previously requested, would you state your name and address prior to providing your testimony? WeÓll begin with you, sir. VAN PERNIS: IÓm Mark Van Pernis, and I live on HoÒopai Road in Makalei Subdivision. First, before I start the testimony, I intended and I want to respond to Commissioner Bowman who, you know, I was flabbergasted to hear from her that she thought the Old Airport Park was lightly used. I think if she checks with the County, sheÓll find that itÓs one of the most intensely used parks in the county. I know I canÓt get baseball games and soccer games scheduled there because they are always booked up for weeks and months in advance. And if you go there, youÓll see itÓs a very intensely used park. And the regional park that was mentioned by a previous speaker, IÓve been in Kona 30-some years, itÓs been on the agenda for 30-some years, itÓs not closer now than it was then. And itÓs funded by the State, and I donÓt think, IÓm not optimistic IÓll see it in my lifetime. And I think itÓs a situation where parks provided as infrastructure contributions by developers are absolute necessities. First of all you may recall that at the prior hearing here on this matter the developer said it was a mistake that their application for revisions called for the use of Makalei Drive as a quasi- connector road. Now I assume theyÓll say it was a mistake that they were advertising to lease, sell or flip the property, which was recently reported in the newspaper, and that it was a mistake that they, in that advertising that Makalei Drive was mentioned as a connection to Mmalahoa Highway. Upon direct request by the Makalei Owners Association whether they would support the AssociationÓs gating of the part for Makalei Drive to insure that it wouldnÓt become PalamanuiÓs de facto connector road, we received only a non-committal platitude in response. I think it just demonstrates a need for specific time conditions to avoid any uncertainty or base adjustment in the future. I think the proposal before you should be amended to, so that it states specifically that Makalei Drive should not be available for access to and from the development prior to the completion and opening, and opening, of the connector road. I think there should be an amendment to require the construction of the park. I think youÓve heard general spark from the testifiers here. I think whatÓs very important also is that the bond or security deposited in escrow, whatever the security arrangement is going to be for the connector road, must have an escalator such as a consumer price index to provide for escalating cost over time of the connector road. This is an absolute necessity, if you and the rest of the County are not going to be gullibly flimflammed again with promises of infrastructure from the developer that never gets delivered, like Waimea, like HkliÒa, so that the County is left holding the bag, an only half-f other words, just like in, it was HkliÒa who I donÓt believe will ever build that road all the way through; the bond that they put up is based on 1998 prices, there is not enough money to complete the road. And we well know what HkliÒaÓs financial condition is at the moment. Now this particular developer promised to provide public infrast and millions of increased value provided by the County permits a to be interested in being bad neighbors to the community generally Î they still have the hook of the community college Î by asking for a waiver and a reduction of all of these benefits that they EXHIBIT B 19