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Draft Hamakua CDP Comments Submitted Online or by Email During the March 15 — June 15 2o16 Review of the Draft Hamakua CDP I live in mauka Onomea and have a 26 acre FARM where my family and I grow much of our own food. We have animals and greenhouses and many gardens with staple crops. I would like to comment in SUPPORT of the proposed LUPAG amendments that "adjust the makai coastal agricultural areas between Mill Road and makai of Kalaniana'ole School to LUPAG Agricultural to be consistent with their current County zoning and the State Land Use Agricultural District." We MUST "protect productive agricultural lands and their associated open space assets within the coastal and SMA lands makai of the Highway 19." 1 am very concerned about the endorsement of Agricultural Parks as I suspect that designation (within the preserved makai coastal agricultural areas) may be abused. I see the designation may be interpreted as a way to still subdivide precious agricultural land with the promise of farming. The present zoning as Conservation and/or Ag20 MUST remain in order to preserve the land- otherwise it will be developed with an Ag Park as an "excuse". There will be homes that have an option to farm in a community garden space- who says the homeowners will farm/garden and in the meantime there are HOMES where there could be crops of food that will feed our island. These will be homes with owners who drive cars that our traffic safety and bridges cannot handle. There will be people who will need emergency room services and our ER is already more than at its maximum. There are many consequences that I could mention but I want to make my simple point- DO NOT change the present County zoning. PLEASE do not change ANY of the zoning and be extremely cautious of any encouragement for Ag Parks. Please preserve Hamakua in AG so that we have the land and open space for future generations. Someday we may NEED to grow our own food- if the planes and ships don't come, we're on our own. Hamakua's rich soils can sustain us but NOT if there are homes everywhere! Mahalo for your heroic effort to gather the sentiments of the residents. Mahalo for executing the will of the people of Hamakua. Hamakua Community Development Plan Steering Committee Re: Comments on Draft Hamakua Development Plan Aloha Steering Committee members, We would like to thank each one of you for the time and effort that you have dedicated to this process. We fully realize that this effort involves tradeoffs; it is not easy to balance the needs of the community with those of private individuals and entities that form part of it. Comment 1: We are particularly encouraged by the policy intent to: (pg. 92, section 6.2.2) "Encourage and support the expansion of agriculture, including forestry and the macadamia nut industry. (GP 14.2.4.7.2) Support the development of a native hardwood industry. (GP 2.4.3.2 (c)); see also (GP 2.4.4.2 (e))." Draft Hamakua CDP hamakua@hawaiicounty.gov www.hamakuacdp.info