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YUEN:Yes. Commissioner Iwashita had said twice that there shall be a
<br />community development plan, that thats required by the General Plan. Thats not correct. The
<br />General Plan in the section on community development plan says it is not mandatory that there
<br />be a community development plan for each region. Thats what it says.
<br />And then as far as the priorities for a community development plan, it says that the need for a
<br />community development plan for a particular area should be assessed considering a number of
<br />factors, including how much is public infrastructure challenged by recent or anticipated growth
<br />and whether there are significant efforts to change the zoning and land use in the area. And
<br />because, and in applying those factors, I have targeted North and South Kona, Puna, and North
<br />and South Kohala as the areas that were proceeding forward with community development
<br />plans in our present budget cycle.
<br />GRAHAM:Commissioner Iwashita?
<br />IWASHITA:The General Plan says, The General Plan sets forth broad goals,
<br />objectives, and policies, implementation, requires translating these broad statements to specific
<br />actions, systemically evaluating progress and active community participation. My point really
<br />is that this body, although we had given notice and all of that, does not promote active
<br />community participation to the full extent possible. In this regard follow-up planning efforts will
<br />involve the preparation of community development plans, capital improvements program and an
<br />annual report. Community development plans are intended to be the forum for community input
<br />into managing growth and coordinating the delivery of government services to the community.
<br />You know, this talk about the traffic problems and all of that, right, well, our planning which
<br />started after World War II in earnest basically, you know, what was done way back then is the
<br />foundation for many of the problems we have today. The subdivisions out in Puna that were
<br />approved without any requirement for any kind of infrastructure other than bulldozing roads or
<br />swads of vacant, you know, swads down along these subdivisions that were called roads, you
<br />know, all of those things were approved under our prior process and today present us major
<br />problems in terms of infrastructure and, you know, what were complaining about today. That
<br />was called planning. And all Im saying is that the implementation plan set forth in our General
<br />Plan basically says those words that I have. And the Director is right, theres no shall in here.
<br />It says will. And the process that specifies how the community development plans get done,
<br />you know, basically rests upon initiation by the Council or the Director. And, you know, the
<br />Director has made a brief statement about the rationale for why were doing it in Kona and two
<br />places and in Puna now. But really, I guess, my perspective is that General Plans, Planning
<br />Commissions, County Councils making approval or changes on a case-by-case basis has not
<br />worked. It didnt work on Maui, didnt work on Oahu, its not working on Kauai, its not
<br />working here. We need a different process. In my view the General Plan setting out the process
<br />to do community development plans provide the process by which we maybe have a chance to
<br />avoid Kihe.
<br />GRAHAM:All right. We still have a motion on the table and were taking
<br />commentary from the Commissioners on how they feel. Commissioner Galdones?
<br />GALDONES:Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have no objection to having a community
<br />development plan. I think every community should have one. So if there was a community
<br />development plan within each community it would take our job as Commissioners, for myself, it
<br />would make it so much easier. Unfortunately, there is none in this particular community. So,
<br />therefore, the question I ask myself, do we hold the applicant hostage to the lack of a community
<br />developmentplan?Isayno.Becausethecommunitywasnotaggressiveenoughororganized
<br />enoughtoputtogetheraplan,weshouldnotholdanyapplicanthostageiftheywanttobe
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