2013-07-18 Leeward Exh B - Hualalai Partners

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VAN PERNIS: All right. Just basically the same project was rejected, failed before the Planning Commission the last time; there is no substantial change. If you read all the written testimony, you will see that. And all the adjoining properties are 20,000, half acre, or above. And you are here to protect the community, not to service the individual developer. Thank you. NIMORI: My concern regarding this rezo-. BEAUDET: Excuse me, ma’am, one minute. The planning director would like to speak. COMMAND: I’m sorry. This is a, I’m not asking you, Mark, Mr. Tucker, when you were talking about driving up, I’m sorry, one of my feet is, I used to work in the Mayor’s Office, one of my feet is still stuck in there, and so you brought up something, and I just want to clear up what you were saying about coming up Hualālai and making a left turn to Hienaloli. Yeah, yeah, and you were saying that as you stop there and you are looking right, you can’t see -. MADSON: Cannot see any visibility right here. It’s totally blind, as you try to make a right turn. And my other concern is that if you start building houses here, it will be permanently blind. So like playing a Russian roulette, when you try to make a right turn here. And nobody knows who is supposed to maintain this. COMMAND: Okay, yeah, and I’m just talking about the existing conditions right now. You are saying that the bushes are in the way when you look right. MADSON: Yeah, absolutely. COMMAND: Okay, thank you. MADSON: You cannot see any cars for maybe 20 feet. COMMAND: All right, thank you. NIMORI: My concern regarding this rezoning request is density, which impacts and overburdens school system. I beg to differ with the Planning Director’s statement that proximity to schools would foster educational opportunities for students and the nearby community; please know that this request is in the district of the Hōlualoa Elementary School. For the upcoming school year there are 498 students enrolled with 24 students in each classroom. They cannot refuse anyone who lives in the district. A nearby charter school can refuse students but has a waiting list. As a former classroom teacher, I know that it is not possible to meet the individual needs of 24 children, each with a learning style of their own. Academic achievement is affected. Children who succeed in school are on their way to become responsible citizens in our community. In terms of cost to tax payers, Hawai‘i is a state where property taxes are not used to fund school expenditures. Therefore, all of us tax payers assume the responsibility of providing funding for schools, not property owners. In 2009, the latest figures available, expenditure per student by the State was $12,399 and by the federal government $2,189. Each additional student will cost $4,588 to the tax payer each year. In addition, Hōlualoa School is a Title 1 school with 46.48 percent of students on the free lunch program, which is funded by the federal government. Members of the Leeward Planning Commission, I ask you to consider, No. 1, proximity to schools is not the only factor in fostering 18 EXHIBIT B