Laserfiche WebLink
From: Maki Morinoue <br /> To: LPCtestimonv <br /> Subject: Oppose Item#3 PL SMA 2025 000080 <br /> Date: Monday,August 18,2025 11:59:49 AM <br /> Attachments: Coral reef benefit from reduced land-sea impacts under ocean warmino.odf <br /> Aloha Leeward Planning Commissioners, <br /> I strongly oppose Item#3 PL SMA 2025 000080 any major shoreline <br /> development on Ali'i Drive that's over $500,000. <br /> Attached is a 20-year study on land to sea impact of West Hawaii. <br /> The current 40-foot setback is outdated and fails to protect our <br /> community from rising seas, storms, and climate change. Oahu already <br /> updated its shoreline setback to 60 feet mauka as of July 1, 2024. <br /> Hawaii Island must follow suit. <br /> This application, originally filed in 2018, should not be considered valid <br /> without a new certified shoreline survey as required by HRS 205A-42. <br /> Our community has been calling for a traffic study for the past 10 years, <br /> specifically for Ali'i Drive and tsunami zone areas. Asking how much water <br /> do we have to keep developing? How do we deal with sewage? Also, <br /> warning the County that we are NOT tsunami evacuation ready after <br /> several failed attempts since 2017 onward. Where is the environmental <br /> review required by HRS Chapter 343? These missing assessments alone <br /> are grounds for denial. <br /> Seawalls and shoreline development create devastating cumulative <br /> impacts—channeling waves toward Kahalu'u Beach Park, eroding public <br /> shorelines, and destroying marine ecosystems. Even the U.S. Army Corps <br /> of Engineers highlighted seawalls on this coast as a major threat during its <br /> $10 million study to protect Kahalu'u. <br /> Ali'i Drive is also in a tsunami evacuation zone with extremely limited <br /> mauka-makai access. Adding major developments in this bottleneck puts <br /> lives at risk during fire, hurricane, or tsunami events. <br /> For years, not a single oceanfront development has been denied—despite <br /> overwhelming public testimony. Why are our voices ignored? The law <br /> clearly states that SMA permits must be outweighed by compelling <br /> public interest. Protecting public health, safety, and access to our <br /> coastlines is compelling public interest. <br />