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can all agree that they want the area revitalized. But as far as the role of the agency and having,
<br /> whether it has teeth or not, as far as decision-making power, I'd be curious to hear a little bit
<br /> from the executives, you know, Mr. Tsuji, Mr. Mayor, you know, whether you've found it
<br /> helpful to have an agency on the ground that sort of passes through different administrations and
<br /> hopefully has a little bit of a longer life that can sort of advocate for the community, listen,
<br /> develop plans. Have you found that a helpful process since the inception of this agency?
<br /> KIM: I wish you would have taken longer. Banyan Drive is a problem for us; us, I'll refer to as
<br /> County government because of our responsibilities, meaning the roadway and the trees. I think
<br /> the Highway Division do a good job as far as nightly clean up and Parks, the park crews, try to
<br /> trim it as best as we can. I do know that from the outside looking in, you know, it doesn't seem
<br /> like there's much movement at all, and I do not pretend to (inaudible) these things like we're
<br /> doing a lot. I do want to say of our involvement, what we're doing. I have talked to Land and
<br /> Natural Resources people and even Mr. DeLima and I had a very brief meeting on this, where
<br /> we're going to go. I think we all have the same goal; make it better. I think the County has done
<br /> an outstanding job in Lili`uokalani Park. I think past mayor, Steve [Stephen] Yamashiro, you
<br /> know, making it a very beautiful walking path and all of that was a tremendous boost. And
<br /> every administration, I think, had taken care of that and also Coconut Island. Now jumping
<br /> forward, in regards to area, in the first term I was here we took a look at the American Legion.
<br /> This is what we used to call Reed's Bay, the park, I mean, the so-called coastal area there. Only
<br /> old timers remember Reed—American Legion. That's where you took all your kids and swam
<br /> back there. And walking back there because it was abandoned for so many years, ever since the
<br /> fire, we ran across people on drugs. We had to tell people be careful because of the far, looking
<br /> at the ocean far left side, you know, where people used to really swim and have a good time, we
<br /> told them to be careful of the needles that was obviously there. So one of the first things we did
<br /> was work with the State and Natural Resources to turn that over to us because we had visions in
<br /> regards to and now I'll skip now to Reed's Bay. I think the County did a tremendous job in
<br /> making that back again into a park. If you go there, I think on any given day, especially
<br /> weekend, you'll see literally all of the people having fun there. And that was, that cost money,
<br /> but fortunately we had furlough monies to pay for that. On the place I refer to American Legion,
<br /> we asked the State if they would turn it over to us, they said no, they want to keep it zoned resort
<br /> or hotel. But they will give it to us on a month-to-month lease, so that's why you see a, kind of a
<br /> temporary improvement there. But we did, we meaning the County, not me obviously, did a
<br /> good job I think, on the frontal area of cleaning it. Matter of fact, we just had a people from
<br /> the Hale, not Hale, but Kulani come and clean out some of the rocks that we could take out,
<br /> make it better for the kids and we're still not finished with that. Regards to other things, but that
<br /> two area I'm very proud of, I think it's well used. The plan was overall, is a different concept of
<br /> resort type area. We wanted to make a place that intermingle the local with the tourist industry
<br /> and make `um as one kind of thing so that they would mix with each other. And that's why you
<br /> see it like that. And I still have hopes that maybe we can have the State turn over the property to
<br /> us so we can go more than month-to-month and pave it and do more than what it is there, but it is
<br /> already nice. In regards to the other places, I think you know that the County was very involved
<br /> in regards to Uncle Billy's. And we're very grateful for cooperation of the State. And even our
<br /> personal calls in regards to the condemnation because of one factor and one factor only, that was
<br /> safety. Fire Department was immediately asked to do a thorough examination review of that
<br /> place, and so was Public Works and both of them submitted reports, which is submitted to the
<br /> State, and the decision was it must be closed ASAP. Now when you see the stores still in
<br /> operation that was part of Uncle Billy's but the request for special permission to keep it going
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<br /> Banyan Drive Hawaii Redevelopment Agency
<br /> October 25,2017 Minutes
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