2025-05-13 Cindy Freitas Opposition Testimony Item #1

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May 13, 2025 County of Hawaii Leeward Planning Department LPCtestimonyghawaiicoun ov RE:Agenda Item 9 1 Applicant: Boaz LLC (Formerly Koa Ventures LLC) He Mele komo a he mele aloha no na kupuna o ke au i hala Aloha mai kakou. Aloha, My name is Cindy Freitas and I'm a Native Hawaiian descended of the native inhabitants of Hawai'i prior to 1778 and born and raised in Hawai'i. I am also a practitioner who still practice the cultural traditional customary practices that was instill in me by my grandparents at a young age from mauka(MOUNTAIN TO SEA)to makai in many areas. I'm in Strong Opposition to the proposed Special Management Area(SMA)Use Permit application PL-SMA-2025-000072 by BOAZ LLC. This project proposes to construct a four-story, thirty-four unit condominium with a pool and related improvements on a 1.195-acre shoreline parcel located on the makai side of Ali`i Drive in Puapua`a 2nd, North Kona. This area is known to hold significant cultural and historical value, and any project of this scale must be held to the highest standard under Hawai`i's coastal protection laws including the standards of HRS Chapter 205A, Ka Pa`akai o ka `Aina, and current sea level rise and climate change policies. This parcel lies directly within the Special Management Area, a highly sensitive zone meant to safeguard coastal ecosystems, traditional and customary Native Hawaiian practices, and public access. Under HRS § 205A-26, a proposed action in the SMA must not: 1. Adversely affect coastal resources and ecosystems 2. Interfere with traditional and customary rights exercised for subsistence, cultural, or religious purposes 3. Lead to cumulative environmental impacts Yet, this application fails on all counts. This project lies in close proximity to the shoreline an area increasingly vulnerable to sea level rise, coastal erosion, and flooding. Under the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report(2017) and Act 16 (2020), developments in SLR-XA(Sea Level Rise Exposure Area) zones must assess inundation risk and long-term sustainability. The application does not include a thorough analysis of these risks, nor does it demonstrate appropriate setbacks or coastal hazard mitigation measures.