2013-01-10 Windward Transcript Connections

Home

AU: Thank you. Any questions for the testifier? Okay, let’s go with Henry Lee Loy. H. LEE LOY: Good afternoon. AU: Please state your name and where you reside. H. LEE LOY: Henry Lee Loy, 1579 Mele Manu Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i. Since our last meeting last month, we have gathered 31 more signatures for our petition. It now numbers a total of 557 signatures for the petition objecting to the proposed site for the Charter Connections School. The proposed location of the Connections Public Charter School would endanger and hinder the community and students alike, as I testified previously. I attended the community meeting at the Connections School on December 17, 2012. The principal, Mr. Thatcher was absent. The Vice Principal Mr. Boyd was present. I felt that Mr. Boyd gave vague and evasive answers in response to questions from the community. Here again today Commissioner Ishibashi asked how many students? And they don’t know, they can’t give an answer. Yet this applicant has said they have been doing the outreach for five years since 1008. The applicant has not earned the trust of the community due to continuous inaccuracies. We request your support by voting no for this applicant’s special use permit. Thank you. AU: Thank you, Mr. Lee Loy. Any questions? Okay, we have Lee Botelho. Please state your name and where you reside. BOTELHO: My name is Lee Botelho, and I live on Mele Manu Street. I did provide a written testimony also for you folks to read. Last month I testified and emphasized that the Commission should focus on the proposed use of the property and whether or not building an educational facility would be appropriate. Again, I would like to provide comments on why the proposed use would not be an appropriate use of the subject property. Although it may be an acceptable use, building a school would not be appropriate for the following reasons: Based on the County’s per person requirements for water, and as well as the school’s engineer who testified based on the American Water Works Association’s projections per day, if you use the 16 gallons, which is the minimum for a school that has showers, not boarding, you would be able to provide water for 262 people, that includes students as well as the faculty and staff. The school has said that they would cap enrollment if the water requirements do not meet their enrollment levels. But their enrollment already exceeds that. So, therefore, there’s not enough water for this project. 27 ATTACHMENT C