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A Hawaii Operating Engineers <br /> LOCALCIS3 Industry Stabilization Fund <br /> 2181 Lauwiliwili Street <br /> S T A B i L I Z A - 1 0 1"] Kapolei, HI 96707 <br /> Phone: (808) 845-6221 <br /> Website: www.hoeisf.com <br /> December 6, 2022 <br /> Honorable, Michael Vitousek, Leeward Planning Commission, Chair <br /> Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Leeward Planning Commission <br /> RE: Amendments to Ordinance No. 02 131 Change of Zone Amendment Application No. PL-REZ- <br /> 2022-000033. Applicant: Kona <br /> Chair Vitousek and members: <br /> My name is Pane Meatoga III, and I am the Community Liaison for the Operating Engineers Industry <br /> Stabilization Fund (HOEISF). We are a labor management fund representing 3000 unionized <br /> members in heavy engineering site work and 500 general contractors specializing in heavy site and <br /> vertical construction. HOEISF supports the amendments to Ordinance No. 02 131, Change of Zone <br /> Amendment Application No. PL-REZ-2022-000033. <br /> The proposed Royal Vistas multiple-family project is a part of the larger Kona Vistas community that <br /> was originally approved in 1984 by both the State Land Use Commission and the Hawai'i County <br /> Council. The past 38 years has seen the completion of the 215-lot Kona Vistas single-family <br /> residential subdivision targeting the upper-income market. Now its time to focus on providing <br /> more affordable housing opportunities for many in the actively working segment of our community. <br /> The past 3 years have seen historical levels of inflation, especially in the real estate market, pricing <br /> out many local families. The proposed Royal Vistas community will give hundreds of local families <br /> that opportunity to live and prosper within a growing urban community that has seen most existing <br /> housing units priced well beyond their means. <br /> Finding an affordable place to live in the Kailua-Kona area is next to impossible. Many of us who <br /> work in the North Kona area reside in the outlying communities of South Kohala, South Kona, and <br /> Ka'u. Many also make the daily trek from the east side of the island. All of these commuters add to <br /> the overall congestion along North Kona's arterials. The most practical solution is to provide <br /> affordable housing opportunities where people work, thereby reducing the number of residents <br /> having to make the long commutes. <br /> HOEISF sincerely asks that the commission allow Kona Three LLC the additional time they need to <br /> complete the urgently needed Royal Vistas housing project. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Pane Meatoga III <br /> Community Liaison <br /> Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund <br />