PL-REZ-2022-000039, PL-SLU-2022-000008 06.13.23 M. AKAU-LACLAIR TESTIMONY

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DeVera, Ashley From: Mia Akau-LaClair <makaulaclair@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2023 6:16 AM To: LPCtestimony Subject: OPPOSING TESTIMONY: KAUPULEHU LAND LLC, PL-SLU-2022-000008, PL- REZ-2022-000039 My name is Mia Akau-LaClair and I live in Pu'ukapu, Waimea and own a home on Waikelehua Place directly across the main highway from the proposed project site. I fully OPPOSE all applications submitted by Kaupulehu Land LLC. I am writing on behalf of the Akau `Ohana of Waimea and eight generations of my family who are nurtured by the lands and waters of Waimea. My family has lived on this land neighboring the proposed property for the past 50 years and we are one of the last old time families remaining in the area. I have witnessed the area around my family home transform from a few local family homes, grazed pasture land, and forest into commercial office spaces, large residential subdivisions, and a traffic nightmare. At one time we could farm and hunt on these lands and share food amongst our families. Waimea will forever be home to my family and we stand to make sure that our Waimea remains for all future generations. This project and many that have come before continue to threaten our subsistence way of life growing, raising, gathering food— living in balance with `aina and we wholeheartedly OPPOSE all applications submitted by Kaupulehu Land LLC. The proposed project is contrary to all five policies of the Waimea Town Plan of the South Kohala Community Development Plan developed by the Waimea community to maintain the core values and culture of our town. Additionally, the goals of the County General Plan are much too broad to achieve the strategies and overall intentions of the Waimea Town Plan. Policy 1: Preservation of Waimea's sense of place through protection of important lands, resources, cultural sites, agricultural lands and open space areas. The proposed project directly conflicts with preserving Waimea's sense of place by destroying one of the last remaining open spaces and unobstructed views of revered Mauna Kea in our neighborhood and along the highway corridor. Constructing commercial and residential spaces with a country character does not equate to preservation of place, destruction is destruction. Policy 2: Moderating the pace of growth and change in Waimea by providing adequate infrastructure before any large-scale new residential or commercial projects can be considered by the County. The proposed project contributes to the rapid commercialization of Waimea rather than moderating the pace of growth based on the carrying capacity of our `aina resources. Policy 3: Wise management of natural resources and important agricultural lands. The proposed project site was a family farm for the better part of the last 100 years and prior to that it was a native forest ecosystem that continued into Waimea from our uplands. In the past year a pair of lo (Hawaiian hawk) have been seen regularly in the vicinity of the proposed project site demonstrating the importance of the area as habitat to a revered native bird species not found on any other Hawaiian island. The agricultural and natural resource land uses are highly valued by our