2017-05-08 NKCDP Letter Mayor Kim Final

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Harry Kim Mayor West Hawaii Office 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 Phone (808) 323-4770 Fax (808) 327-3563 May 8, 2017 County of Hawaii PLANNING DEPARTMENT NORTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE Mayor Harry Kim County of Hawaii 25 Aupuni Street, St. 2603 Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Michael Yee Director Daryn Arai Deputy Director Bast Hawaii Office 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Phone (808) 961-8288 Fax (808) 961-8742 SUBJECT: Support for the Purchase of Property in North Kohala for Open Space Dear Mayor Kim, The County of Hawaii is known throughout the world as the home of King Kamehameha the Great. We ask that you help the community of North Kohala preserve the actual homelands of Kamehameha by authorizing the Director of Finance to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of lands at Hapu`u, Kapanai`a and Halelua. There are many other reasons to preserve this three- mile stretch of northern coastline, but preserving the kulaiwi o Kamehameha is very compelling. Since the 1970's, the people of Kohala have worked to guarantee continuance of their generations -long access to these lands. The North Kohala Community Development Plan (County Ordinance 08-151) identifies the reasons and need for preserving these lands in three different sections (see below). Through a community -wide effort over many years, all the necessary documents and land owners are in place to see this happen. Here are some compelling reasons for initiating negotiations to purchase these lands for open space: County Council resolutions to purchase — The County Council unanimously passed Resolutions 327-15 and 326-15 in December 2015 directing the County to enter into negotiations with the owners of land within the Hapu`u to Kapanai`a Cultural Corridor and Halelua for public purchase of the lands. Highest priority on PONC list — Hapu`u to Kapanai`a Cultural Corridor has been on the County's PONC list since 2010, fourth place or higher, in 2015 it was listed as Priority One. Halelua has been on the PONC list since 2012, and was Priority One in 2014. Cited as highest priority for preservation by the North Kohala Community Development Plan — The NKCDP (County Ordinance 08-151) calls for a Cultural and Historic Preservation Community with the highest priority being the preservation of Kohala's legacy as the home of Kamehameha I (Section 4. 1, Strategies 1.6 and 1.7). The Public Access recommendations name Kapanai`a to Kauhola Point as the highest priority in establishing community access (Section 4.2, www.cohplanningdept.com Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer planning khawaiicounty.Qov