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From: Barry Northrop <br /> To: LPCtestimony <br /> Subject: Bill 121 Planning Commission testimony <br /> Date: Monday,April 15,2024 11:23:06 AM <br /> Dear Leeward Planning Commission, <br /> TARmageddon? TARzilla? TARgate?No matter what pejorative it deserves, Bill 121 is an <br /> intrusive and abusive proposal. Hawaii deserves better. <br /> For years, Hawaii county has vilified homeowners who rent vacation space to island visitors. <br /> Fair and reasonable regulation always makes sense but Bill 121 is an onerous overreach that <br /> imposes stifling control over island residents. <br /> While these comments are aimed toward owner-hosted accommodations, Bill 121 overshoots <br /> in all categories including hosted and unhosted. It force fits all vacation rentals into an <br /> improperly configured box. This Bill reads like a manifesto written by the hotel industry for a <br /> law that suffocates competition: more hurdles,more complexity,more fees,more fines,more <br /> restrictions. <br /> Concerns purportedly addressed by Bill 121 center around unwelcome behavior(noise, <br /> congestion) and unaffordable real estate but its approach is ill-suited. There are already laws <br /> that address quiet enjoyment of residential property. If they are lacking,rewrite those. <br /> Expensive real estate? The main contributors are limited land area(we're on an island), <br /> restrictive zoning, heavy regulation, poor infrastructure, low income, and high interest rates. <br /> Owner hosted vacation rentals have zero impact on levels of residential housing stock because <br /> the owners live there! Where is the rigorous economic impact study to accompany and support <br /> this Bill? It rests largely on inflammatory innuendo rooted in biased anecdotal hearsay. Bear in <br /> mind that this email merely scratches the surface of the many troubling issues embedded in <br /> Bill 121. <br /> As a reminder,the General Plan strives to position Hawaii Island for economic progress <br /> while preserving the environment and strengthening community foundations. The county's <br /> General Plan 2045 draft sets a goal for a healthy visitor industry: "A high quality of life for <br /> residents is maintained while a regenerative visitor industry thrives through attracting people <br /> seeking authentic, connected experiences (p. 164)." What better way to achieve regenerative, <br /> authentic, connected experiences than by encouraging residents to open their homes to <br /> travelers? Instead, Bill 121 practically criminalizes these efforts. $10,000 fines? It is shocking <br /> that bail and fines for genuine criminal mayhem are often less. <br /> Please do a reset and dial down the rapacious barriers imposed by Bill 121. Owner-hosted <br /> accommodations can be managed by Zoning Code Chapter 25 using the Planning <br /> Department's Home Occupation Declaration. This long standing, currently available process <br /> suffices and is eminently appropriate. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Barry Northrop and Ruth Blue <br /> Naalehu <br />