2023-07-07 Written Testimony from Robert Silber

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I thought by being a good neighbor, being helpful and available to talk and receive feedback would be enough to generate good will and support for the project. As you can see by the emails exchanged in late 2022, we addressed all of the concerns voiced at that time by property owners adjacent to Lolia Place (Furst, Tama, Lawrence, et al). In terms of supporting the local neighborhood we are a telecommunications hub providing high-speed internet to an underserved area, providing a natural disaster hub for the neighborhood which is above the Tsunami zone, and meeting space. Many neighbors enjoy playing pickleball here on a regular basis which supports senior citizens' health and wellness. Due to financial hardships of the 2018 lava flow and the pandemic, it has been difficult to survive financially but we have built our short-term hosted vocational rental business to the point of consistent 5-star reviews and Superhost status on Airbnb. You can review the long list of favorable reviews Hawaii Eco Retreat has generated via our short-term hosted vocational rental business. In addition, we have planted hundreds of fruit trees and large gardens where much of our food comes from. We are totally off-grid with 72 solar panels, 51,000 gallons of water storage and a geothermal well for the spa area. We provide a place for healing, solitude, nature, as well as social connection in a drug and alcohol-free environment. We are very quiet and respectful of neighbors. Unfortunately, in the age of social media, QAnon and conspiracy theorists, we have generated opposition from some people in the neighborhood near Lolia Place who are not familiar with the actual day to day life here and wonderful experiences that people have here. Several of the neighbors in opposition to our special permit have never visited us even though we have invited them many times. In addition, we have experienced some volunteers and guests break our agreements around drugs and alcohol and then try to exact revenge by planting stories about us on social media. We ask you to evaluate our special permit proposal in light of the many people who have submitted supporting testimony who actually know us, the support of the County of Hawaii Planning Department, and the understanding that Puna and Big Island need more places like Hawaii Eco Retreat. t