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support for preserving the historical significance of the property. Cmr. Markoff asked if the purpose of the park purchase is preservation, how does a parking lot facilitate that? Ms. Taube explained that the spring is located on the lower part of the property, which was included in the proposal in response to public opposition to paid parking. The idea was to possibly offer free parking that could connect to the existing county free parking lot nearby. It was also emphasized that the lower portion, where the spring is located, was always intended to be preserved. Cmr. Markoff then asked Ms. Taube if she could identify the square footage of the area to be preserved compared to the part that is intended for the parking lot. Ms. Taube said it is probably the lower third of the property. V. Chr. Crivello asked whether the proposed parking lot on the upper portion of the property would impact the springs located on the lower portion. She expressed concern about potential ground disturbance affecting the delicate springs and asked if any surveys or studies had been conducted to confirm that the development would not impact the springs. Ms. Taube said she is not qualified to answer that question and thinks a civil engineer may better answer it. V. Chr. Crivello then asked if anyone had been contacted and asked to provide that qualified information, to which Ms. Taube replied, "No. And after the testimony today, which this is the first time I've heard it too, there seems to be a lot of support for keeping the entire property,you know, preserved. No parking lot." Cmr. Markoff asked the nominator to clarify if they would be ok with there being no parking lot at all. Ms.Taube said yes. Cmr. Ward addressed the nominator and said the parking lot doesn't fit in with PONC's mission, so it is hard for the commissioners to imagine improvements for it, but for protection, it would be conceivable. Cmr. Markoff commented that there are usage issues with parking lots and then asked how a parking lot development and the preservation of a spring could co-exist. DCC Wan reminded the Commission that per the County Charter and Hawaii County Code, PONC funds are intended for acquiring land for public outdoor recreation, education, access, preservation, and protection of natural and cultural resources. She noted that limited infrastructure—such as parking lots or ADA-accessible walkways—may be permitted to support public access and emphasized that preservation and development are not necessarily mutually exclusive. There being no further discussion, Chr. Rosam continued to the next suggestion listed on the agenda. Draft 1 -Minutes of March 10, 2025 Page 6