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“We are currently challenged by the fact that many folks approaching Pahoa consider the new <br />Woodland Center (KFC, Burger King, Longs) and the Malama Market complex to be the extent of our <br />town. The members of the Main Street Pahoa are invested in doing everything we can to support the <br />economic and historic vitality of Pahoa Village. Please help us to keep our commercial enterprises <br />‘above the boards’ and consistent with the community’s vision when you review rezoning requests. ” <br /> <br />Is this a three-minute limit? <br /> <br />KERN: No. <br /> <br />T. EDWARDS: Okay. I just really need to emphasize some points here. The Zoning Code is meant <br />to protect the public interest and general welfare. When you require an application you ask for an <br />environmental assessment and you're supposed to show existing structures and their uses. What is <br />most glaring about the Venti application is that it doesn't even state that it is currently a vacation rental <br />and that there are no plans for a commercial use. So you have to wonder why pay more in real <br />property tax revenue if you are going to continue to allow the same use? They are doing this to <br />increase the value. For somebody to say that they're doing it to increase the value is outrageous. Why <br />do we even bother having community development plans if we’re going to allow for stuff like this? <br /> <br />We also, not having a plan, you can’t get into things like how much parking should there be, will there <br />be a traffic impact? As you can see from the photo we have encroachment problems in Pahoa Village. <br />We don't have sidewalks. There are a number of things that we have issues with as far as utilities and <br />public infrastructure. And so by allowing rezonings without having any plans, to me, it compounds an <br />existing problem. There is also, according to the Department of Water Supply, an issue with the <br />waterline here. And as the neighbor, we have some concerns about that. Basically our lawyer, Sandra <br />Song, has been doing work with land use and planning for 35 years and she has never seen such a <br />sloppier deficient application; and it is incomplete and premature. We just feel like you should, you <br />will be setting a dangerous precedent if you allow something like this, without a plan. We have <br />standards that we, I've as a reporter covered cases in Hawai‘i, or in Hawai‘i County, and seen <br />developers put through so much. And if you are just allowing somebody to come through without a <br />specific plan and yet requiring so much of developers I don't think that is fair. And I think that the <br />public would be outraged to see something passed like this. <br /> <br />And I also just want to point out that by not having a plan, they have a whole shopping list of uses that <br />they could choose from if they receive this commercial rezoning. And for someone who represents <br />Mainstreet Pahoa Association trying to preserve the economic vitality and the historic charm of the <br />village, I just really honestly think that that is very dangerous. So I just urge you to use caution and to <br />look at this with more scrutiny. I'm also shocked that the applicants themselves are not here to be able <br />to state more clearly what is their intention for this property. We really want to emphasize there is <br />nothing personal but we just really want to maintain the historic charm of the village. Thank you very <br />much. Aloha <br /> <br />KERN: Thank you. Any questions for the testifier? <br /> <br />AU: Chair -? <br /> <br />6 <br /> EXHIBIT A <br /> <br /> <br />