2004-12-17 TPettuso - Laserfiche WebLink

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FUJIKAWA:Thank you. Cheryl, you may proceed with your testimony. GREEN:Okay. Well, Im grateful to have this opportunity to speak before you today as one of the many voices opposed to changing the agricultural zoning of the Kapulena area. As you know, the decision you make today will affect all of us in Hamakua. The Kapulena area is perfectly suited for farming and is now in the beginning stages of success. The small farmers here are developing and producing world-class agricultural products. The Land Use Commission knew what it was doing when it zoned Kapulena agricultural. The special use permits were intended for exceptional needs on agricultural lands, exceptional needs. Im a farmer, I bought my land to farm. When I applied for a permit to build my house, the County asked me to sign a farm dwelling agreement. I thought about it, and I said thisisgood.Bysigningthisagreement,theCountyandmyneighborsneverneedto worry about my land use. In 1995, Mr. Pettus also signed a farm dwelling agreement. But from that day forward, Mr. Pettus ignored the commitment he made to the County and to his community. He chose to build a development of residential dwellings under the guise of storage sheds, fruit sheds and lean-tos to house his friends and members of his commune. Hes now asking for you to legitimize his actions. This special use permit is not the highest, best use of the Kapulena area. We have 100 signatures of neighbors and property owners in the area opposed to this special use permit; and Im not sure if you all have that, but I have nine copies here for you. Theyre hard-working people today who have taken time off from work to come here to ask you to deny Mr. Pettus request. If its okay with the Commission, I would like the people who oppose it to raise their hands (approximately 21 people from the audience). Thank you. There are other parts of this island more suited for this type of development. And history, as you know, has shown that when you break up Ag land by rezoning with variances, it always results in the loss of the Ag land forever. It is important to honor the wisdom of the Land Use Commission. The best zoning decisions have already been made for this area. Please vote to deny this special use permit and keep Kapulena agricultural, please. Thank you. FUJIKAWA:Any questions, Commissioners, with Cheryl? Commissioner Springer? 7