2024-04-01 PL-SPP-2024-000062 Mamolani King Opposition Testimony

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"the community" is a large population of struggling local residents who bring their children to "Animal Falls Road" to see farm animals and for a no-cost hike to a spectacular, and to us, a sacred waterfall of overpowering mana. Locals park on the street because they cannot or will not pay for parking. I was told by a parking attendant in the state lot in December that residents had to pay $5 to park and tourists $10, despite the DLNR webste which says that resident parking at Akaka Falls is free. Therefore, my grandsons and I parked along the roadside. Hawaii residents (a.k.a. locals) will continue to park on the road despite an additional paid parking lot until the state fulfills its duty to its constituents and guests by providing proper, fee-less parking in the State Parking Lot. Pages 15 and 16 of the Special Permit application are so full of bogus claims that it is an embarrassment: "No significant visual impacts are expected to occur as the parking lot is low-lying in nature." "With regard to historic sites, although no commissioned archaeological survey of the site was conducted, it is highly unlikely that any historic sites would be found in the special permit area of the property"... because it has already been bull-dozed and partially covered with cement! "The General Plan also emphasizes that developments be mindful of an area's natural beauty"... which is true of the General Plan but not of this expanded commercial parking lot on private agriculturally zoned land. Page 19: See 3H. Valued Cultural Resources..."Specifically, there must be a discussion of the cultural, historical, and natural resources and associated traditional and customary practices of this site." I agree... let's discuss it with people of the land. To continue: "No known archaeological sites, historical, or cultural resources are known to be located on the property" [92.8 acres]. It is not known whether the subject site or immediate area was ever used for traditional and customary rights by native Hawaiians."... People of the land would know but perhaps not foreign land owners or Caucasian American settlers (a.k.a. malihini). "However, in the event of documented claims of gathering or access are made of this site the applicant will honor them." Page 19, see 31: Public Access—"The subject parcel is not adjacent to or near any shoreline or mountainous areas,..." However, it is adjacent to the most sacred waterfall in all Hawaii. To ignore that significance to the people of this land is to disrespect native Hawaiians and long time residents of the Hawaiian Islands. Ua mau ke `ia o ka aina i ka pono!