PL-REZ-2022-000033 LAI OPUA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP TESTMONY 12.15.2022

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£a'i'Opua Community Development Corp. 74-5146 Haleolono Place, Kailua Kona, HI 96740 P.O. Box 3230, Kailua- Kona, HI 96745 Kailua- Kona, HI 96745 December 15, 2022 Craig "Bo" Kahui Laiopua Community Development Corporation 74-5146 Haleolono Place Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Email: bokahui65@gmail.com Dear Chairperson Michael Vitousek and Members of the Leeward Planning Commission email... hokahui65(a�mail. com Phone. 808-896-2252 Letter in Support of Amendments to Ordinance No. 02 131 Change of Zone Amendment Application No. PL-REZ-2022-000033 Applicant: Kona Three LLC Tax Map Keys: (3) 7-6-021:016 and 017; N. Kona, Hawaii My name is Craig Bo Kahui and I'm a native Hawaiian and I would like to encourage the Leeward Planning Commission to support the amendments to the zoning ordinance as requested by Kona Three LLC, which if approved, will give them the opportunity to proceed with the proposed Royal Vistas multiple family residential project that will provide much - needed employment and housing opportunities for our local families. The proposed Royal Vistas multiple -family project is a part of the larger Kona Vistas community that was originally approved in 1984 by both the State Land Use Commission and the Hawai`i County Council. The past 38 years has seen the completion of the 215-lot Kona Vistas single-family residential subdivision targeting the upper -income market. Now its time to focus on providing more affordable housing opportunities for many in the actively working segment of our community. The 450-unit Royal Vistas project will offer both fee and rental opportunities for the mid - market group of residents, which include the workforce gap group represented by people like me, with incomes too high to qualify for subsidized affordable housing and too low to afford market - rate homes. Most important, the proposed Royal Vistas multiple -family project will impact native Hawaiians who for many years have been on the wait list for Hawaiian Home Housing opportunities. In fact, some have waited for over a 20 years. The past 3 years have seen historical levels of inflation, especially in the real estate market, pricing out many local families. The proposed Royal Vistas community will give hundreds of local families that opportunity to live and prosper within a growing urban community that has seen most existing housing units priced well beyond their means. Finding an affordable place to live in the Kailua-Kona area is next to impossible. Many of us who work in the North Kona area reside in the outlying communities of South Kohala, South Kona, and Ka`u. Many also make the daily trek from the east side of the island. All of these commuters add to the overall congestion along North Kona's arterials. The most practical