2006-09-11 Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission Minutes (Kona Mtg)

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Mr. Varney stated it would be great. There was also the national park system that housed the Pu`ukohola heiau, they maybe interested in acquiring the mauka portions as a buffer and get the whole thing and split it up. Mr. Varney stated they have to get creative on the financing for it. Mr. Varney stated the LSD landing at Kawaihae is best place to go swimming with your children. If you look at some of the plans, they maybe still able to keep the LSD part but the other part where a lot of people go; it's more like a man made coral rubble beach. That place is packed with people on the weekend. With this new security and restriction, he had to go through a two hour training seminar to get the pass to get in there. Mr. Varney stated he needed to come and share his information with the Commission. Mr. Varney stated he did not know what channels he needed to go thorough to talk about this mitigating funding and how that would work. The day they decided to build the whole Kawaihae harbor, they took away so much shoreline and sandy beach before the harbor was built. Prior to the harbor being built, it was a black and gray sand beach and one of the longest stretches of beach on the island. DISCUSSION WITH DAVE CAYLOR, PLANNER FROM THE KAUAI PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND BERYL BLAICH, VICE CHAIR FOR THE KAUAI COUNTY'S PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMISSION. Mr. Caylor introduced himself and Beryl Blaich, Vice -Chair for the Kauai County's Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission. Ms. Blaich stated it was wonderful to be invited to be with the Commission and have a discussion and thought conversation was good and she brings greetings from Kauai to Hawaii. Ms. Blaich stated one of our Commissioners, E. Kalani Flores was important on their island for the work he did in historic and cultural preservation. Ms. Blaich stated that they have personal ties to the Big Island especially their Chairman, Jean Nishida Souza, was a Hilo girl. Mr. Caylor thanked the Commission for inviting them and was very excited and quick to accept the invitation when Deputy Corporation Counsel Self offered it because it's so important that we communicate and learn from each other. We're all charting new ground and the Big Island was going through some of the same pains that Kauai was in, in terms of rapid development, loss of public access to beaches and the mauka areas; the lack of open space. Mr. Caylor stated we all have an awesome responsibility in determining what can and should be preserved for future generations. Mr. Caylor stated he would be happy to talk about anything the Commission had questions about. Mr. Caylor stated he's relatively new to the program; he just recently took the position as the County's Open Space Public Access Specialist back in April; it was vacant for an extended period of time. Mr. Kaneshiro stated someone came to talk to the Commission about the 2% property tax that will go towards the purchase of public access, open space. Mr. Kaneshiro stated he