2024-05-07 Kawehi & Debra Ryder S

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Mr. Dennis Lim, Chair �� 3y -P T Ftixto County of Hawai'ispy" 2 i vi1;07 Windward Planning Commission Aupuni Center 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 RE Q' HAND DEL1Vt - tU Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 Subject: Letter of Support for Black Sand Beach LLC (PL-SMA-2023-000046) - Application for a Special Management Area Permit for Punalu'u, Ka'u, Hawai'i Honorable Chair Dennis Lim: As a resident of this area, I am writing this letter in strong support of Black Sand Beach, LLC's SMA Application. The limited development plan, as proposed, will create a win-win situation for the community of Punalu`u as well as all our communities throughout Ka'u and beyond. Many residents, including myself, have worked closely with the landowner to help guide the planning process. We have been very involved in helping guide the project plans to ensure that Punalu`u remains a valued resource that can be shared by all. My primary motivation for writing this letter is to explain why it is important for the Commission to understand why our community members are in support of the proposed Punalu`u Village project: • Black Sand Beach LLC is the first company in Ka`u to collaboratively create a development plan as a result of over 3 years of input with the community. • As local community advocates, we worked with the landowner to preserve all of the coastline on this property, for the benefit of local people with no new development. • Punalu`u Village will introduce only 225 residential and short-stay units, all of which are far from the coastline. • The 225 units represent less than 8% of the 2,900 units proposed in 1988, and less than 13%of the 1,800 units proposed in 2006. • Black Sand Beach LLC plans to permanently open the entire coastline to the community and create a coastline management area to protect the natural resources, marine life habitats, and gathering &fishing rights for the community, and to preserve the beauty of the Punalu`u coastline in perpetuity. This is something that no prior owner of these lands has ever offered. • An Open Market is being proposed as part of a community co-prosperity plan to assist local small and medium enterprises, not just one family or individual that we, the local w community, requested. Z °� It is important for the Commission to understand that Punalu`u is currently an active, living community, not an empty piece of land. The outdated infrastructure in Punalu`u needs upgrading and maintenance. If Black Sand Beach LLC abandons its plan to revitalize this area, U who will provide services and funding support for the existing 100 water and sewer users? Where will the County's Punalu`u Black Sand Beach Park get its water? Punalu`u has on-going 1