2008-11-06 TSONOMURA - Laserfiche WebLink

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that I brought back from that is that, you know, for any kind of consideration of expanding the Urban core, which is basically what we’re talking about, that we really have to consider what the impact of this is. And, you know, Mr. Nishimura talked about existing infrastructure and, yes, there is existing infrastructure. But it’s, frankly, very limited. There are no sewers there. You know, there’s really no public transportation to this area. I don’t think there’s any plan for this area in the near future. It’s not really accessible by public transportation. And if we as an island community are going to protect ourselves and do the best for developing our future in a way where we can reduce or come close to eliminating the need for oil and using, you know, what our newly elected president is talking about, you know, focusing on alternative energy and so forth, then we cannot continue down this road. You know, I recognize that under the General Plan this is Low Density Urban, you know, but that was -.To me, right now, that’s historical. But also undisputed in the record is under the existing community development plan, which is not law, was adopted in 1975, this area is still designated as Agricultural.So there’s a conflict in our planning documents, sort of a technicality. But, to me, the reality is that we really need to focus on what our actions will do and how it will impact the future, whether it’s going to be a preferred one where we get off our oil habit or not; and that is a primary consideration for me. I really don’t see a need for this now or in the foreseeable future. And once we get the community development plans going it may end up that we, you know, when the community gets involved in the process, that we’ll determine that we really don’t need this type of subdivision in the future. So that’s the basis for my opposition. Thank you, Mr. Chair. WOODWARD: Okay. Anybody else? Commissioner Domingo. DOMINGO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I can feel and understand the sentiments expressed by the Commissioner and I also understand the feelings of Mr. Branco. I look at it in a larger context, the fact that with the increase of population and many people moving here in the islands and with the scarcity of developable properties, the demand increases and the prices of the land increase tremendously. And what’s happening is our local people here on the Big Island can hardly afford any of those properties for themselves. What we find here is people who have properties would like to make them available for those people who’d like to do agricultural activities; and for someone living in a rural atmosphere a half acre parcel would be ideal for them. There are conditions in the ordinance which would entail the development of improvements of the streets, which would certainly address the increase in traffic. But it seems like that is not the issue right now. The issue is that the activities that would probably take place by the neighbors; and as I indicated, you know, if at the present time Mr. Branco here wants to do agriculture that does not preclude him or stop him from doing agriculture, he can just go along as he has been doing for all these years. And if in the event the others who come in with no intent of doing agriculture and just owning a half acre lot and do some perhaps raising flowers or doing a vegetable garden, then they can do so.And if Mr. Branco decides to go into a piggery or raise roosters he can also do it because under the Agricultural designation that does not stop him from doing it. But if neighbors who come there with the sole intent of just buying a big property and relaxing and thinking they’re buying a residential property, and that laws governing residential/rural uses applies to them then they’re mistaken because what precludes that is it’s all agricultural land. And those who are doing legitimate and bonafide agricultural activities are those people who are entitled to these agricultural lands, and not just residential property owners. And that’s the way I look at it. 17