2025-03-05 Heidi White Testimony

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Frain: Heidi White To: Planning Internet Mail;WPCtestimom;LPCtestimo v;Council Testimony;Kimball.Heather;Kaaiwada,3ennifer;Onishi.Dennis;Kierkiewicz.Ashley;Kanealii-Kleinfelder.Matt;ViIlaces,Rebecca;Galimba. Midielle M.;Inaba.Hol ka;Hustace.James;cohmavor(a)haws countv.gov Subject: My community and I OPPOSE THE GP 2024 Date: Wednesday,March 5,2025 6:06:53 PM To all of you in Government positions I along with my community and ohana write to oppose this General Plan 2024! STOP This General Plan 2024 its BAD for our Island. We stand and ask the County Council to vote against the County Planning Department's 2045 General Plan because it is NOT good for the community. We stand and ask Mayor Kimo Alameda to oppose the County Planning Department's 2045 General Plan for the reasons stated below. We also call for a Hawaii'Planning Director who will advocate for community rights and hear our voices that speak against high-end developers.Accountability for past actions must be taken. Asa resident of the Big Island for over 45 years,a Realtor for 29 years,a mother and grandmother of seven. I have witnessed the gradual erosion of the conservation of land to high-end developers and our rights being removed due to the actions of the Hawai'i County Planning Department in favor of these developers over the voices of the community and wanting more control over our lives.The department's proposed 2045 General Plan is beyond comprehension for the average citizen,with complexities that beg for transparency and accountability. We demand Hawai'i County Planning meetings for their 2045 General Plan to be held at times the community can attend,which is after 5 p.m. Tragically,this plan includes Land Title Changes,which are deeply concerning.When someone in the Hawai'i County Planning meeting stood and opposed a land use title change,the director dismissed it as an"oversight."This raises serious questions about the number of oversights in their final draft.Changing land use titles strips us of our rights to private property and introduces vague,yet potentially harmful,rezoning measures. Furthermore,the plan includes ambitions to create a broadband and smart grid,a lofty goal for an island lacking the necessary resources.This raises significant questions about the feasibility and environmental implications of such projects. It's crucial to ensure that these changes DO NOT proceed.We must continue to push for transparency and accountability in these decisions to protect our land,Island,and future What's more distressing is that the Hawai'i County Planning Department seems to always focus on high-end development initiatives that overtax our resources and infrastructure instead of considering the voices of our community.A clear example was when 18,569 voices opposed development in a petition.Yet,Zendo Kern,the Hawai'i Planning Director at the time,ignored these voices and stated the resort would not hurt the land even with articles like these two: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/featu re-story/cautionary-tale-2019-coral-bleaching-event- hawaii#:-:text=Corals/20Bleaching%20Iss/200ccurrings/20more,had%20catastrophic%20impacts%20state%2Dwide https:llcoral.org/en/where-we-work/hawaiian- islands/#:-:text=Hawa i%CAs/a B Bi's%20reefs%20face%20m a jor%20g loba I.i nto%20 Hawa i%CAO/o B Bi's%20waterways%20every%20day This is the petition he ignored:https://www.thepetitionsite.com/854/086/898/residents-who-oppose-the-resort-in-punaluu- ka%C5a/aAB/ This is the article showing Kern's opposition over local voices:https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/03/hundreds-of-hawaii-island- residents-protest-proposed-housing-project-in-punal uu/ Additionally,we urge Mayor Kimo Alameda to reappoint a new Hawai'i County Planning Director.Jeff Darrow's 26 years with the Hawai'i Planning Department,supporting Zendo Kern,have demonstrated a lack of commitment to the land and local voices.These voices have consistently opposed high-end developments,advocating instead for the conservation of the land for endangered species and the island's future.Jeff Darrow's support against local voices in the past years shows he is not the right fit for thejob,and we demand that accountability be served. We need a Planning Director who prioritizes island resources and infrastructure over high-end developments,favors land conservation, and listens to and supports local voices.We need someone who will work to ensure the Big Island retains its unique character and doesn't turn into another Oahu.We also need someone who is respectful of our rights by NOT overreaching their station,as this 2045