2006-09-22 TALLIANCE - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

ALAMEDA:Thank you. Starting from my left, could you please state your name and address for the record? LEWIS:Susan Reid Lewis, 74-5046 Lapa Nui Street, Kailua-Kona. ALAMEDA:Okay, I tell you what. Susan, you can start, and then we’ll just go down the line. So, go ahead, Susan. LEWIS:Oh, okay. I’m on the council of Holualoa Chapel. And one of the things that we have had in the past are silent retreats, but it’s very difficult to find a place to have a silent retreat that is truly silent. We’ve gone to the military camp; and that is not ideal. So we really do long for a place to be able to have silent retreats, family retreats, men’s retreats, women’s retreats. It would work very, very well for our community. I also know Jen and Sully and the property, and it is an ideal place; and they are totally committed to seeing this vision fulfilled. Thank you. ALAMEDA:All right. Any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, you may be seated. Sir, could you state your name and address for the record and then you may proceed with your testimony. BLANCATO:Ralph Blancato, P.O. Box 1135, Kapaau. Aloha mai, thank you for all coming today to address this very important issue. I’m a Big Island resident since 1965. I’m a captain, a farmer, and I own coastal property close to Bernard and Jenny Sullivan. We’re losing our ag lands, we’re losing our conservation lands. If we want the Big Island to remain a good and pono place for us to live, then it’s your responsibility to keep it that way. I think shoreline rights for Native Hawaiians and coastal hiking trails need to be addressed and provided for. We need to keep our kids on kaaina and off the streets. Bernard and Jenny Sullivan are good, honorable people. They’ve been good neighbors and they have listened to the requests and concerns of their neighbors. I have personally entertained their youth groups on a day use basis on my coastal property. I’m doing a native tree restoration, thank you for that approval; and we’ve got over 300 native trees in the ground. Their kids have always been trustworthy, they’ve been hard-working, they’ve been pono. They’ve really appreciated the time that they’ve had on kaaina. What else? If I had any recommendations to the Council, it would be an approval, but with a maximum number of bodies scaled down. The road access is, of course, a consideration. And as of yet there has not been an adequate ingress and egress to the Watkins-Sunderland resort; and I feel that that needs to be addressed. I also feel that Watkins-Sunderland special use permit was approved and on ag and conservation land, then in all fairness this proposal should also be approved. It’s a lot less impactful and it is designed for the poor and people with modest means to allow their children to get on the land. So, mahalo for your time today. Aloha. ALAMEDA:Mahalo, Ralph. Thank you. Any questions for Ralph? Thank you for your testimony, thank you very much. You may be seated. Ma’am? BOWMAN:Aloha, I’m Lani Bowman, P.O. Box 295, Hawi, Hawai`i. I was born and raised in Kohala, graduated from Kamehameha Schools. I am Hawaiian, also, from University of Puget Sound with a degree in environmental science. And I vowed to come home and help EXHIBIT A 11