HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0047.038 2020-2022 6
bill 217
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From: Zaheva Knowles
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2020 10:54 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: County of Hawaii Bill No. 217, Draft#2 - Vote No
I?steemed County Council Members,
As a long-time Hawaii County resident, surfer, and concerned citizen, I am writing to express my opposition to 13111
No. 217, Draft#2, which seeks to amend Chapter 24, Article 10, Division 4, Section 24-278, of the Hawaii
County Code 1983, as amended, relating to pedestrians.
For more than 50 years, Waipi`o Valley has been an essential part of our family life here on Hawaii Island. It is the
place where we learned to surf(and still do), where we hike, where we celebrate and play. While it is true that in
recent years, the Valley has become congested and the road more dangerous, this is not the result of pedestrians.
Instead it is a result of mainland tourists and other visitors, encouraged by guide books like Hidden Ilawai`i- in their
rented four wheel drives (and sometimes with just front wheel drive) - out to explore and take advantage of our
beautiful sacred, special, places, often without care or concern for the people or the land. They do not understand how
to drive the road and are not prepared for the sometimes difficult hike into and out of the Valley, nor are they aware of
the protocol for visiting this sacred place and respecting those who live there.
The current draft of Bill 217 does nothing to address these issues. Instead it attempts to severely restrict pedestrian
traffic based on vague, and potentially, illegal classifications.
Concerns with Bill No. 217, Draft #2
As the Bill stands, non-native Hawaiian residents who work in Waipi'o Valley farms,
but live outside the Valley, are prevented from walking to work.
As the Bill stands, descendants of immigrant plantation workers, who have adopted ,
and embraced Hawaiian culture for four generations - but are not "Native Hawaiian
cultural practitioners" - would be prohibited from walking into Waipi'o Valley to
practice their own sacred or cultural rituals. }
As the Bill stands, community members from Hamakua and South I{ohala - many of 3
whom, like us, have deep ties to the Valley, would now be barred from entering on
foot, despite paying taxes to support the public road and infrastructure.
Of course, each of the people in the above examples can still drive into Waipi'o Valley,
while spewing pollution from their cars, increasing traffic that impedes Valley
residents, and multiplying the chances of collision and injury, thereby, offsetting this
Bill's main purpose: to limit traffic in and out of the Valley and increase safety.
Instead of adopting this vague, potentially illegal, and shortsighted "solution" to the
congestion issues in the Valley, I urge the Council to consider proactive, easily
enforceable solutions that would limit access while simultaneously allowing Hawaii
residents to continue to enjoy and share in the bounty of our beautiful valley.
Solution Comm. . ��• :1 t�
1Ref. o: MM-AW
Ref. Date—DEC 2 3 2020
Please consider a simple, but very powerful, adjustment to Bill No. 217. If the exclusion
issimply changed from "residents ofVVoipi'o" 1u "residents ofHavvai'i", all of the
aboveproblems disappear.
• This adjustment would eliminate illegal discrimination and disputes from
Havvai'i taxpayers over their right to use of public road.
° This adjustment would greatly simplify enforcement, because residents of
Hawaii can be quickly, easily, and positively identified by their existing Hawaii
driver's license orState ID.
• This adjustment would reduce vehicles on this road, and improve traffic flow.
Along with that comes reduced wear of the road surface, reduced pollution,
reduced risk ofcollision, and reduced risk ofliability for the County . . .
ultimately improving upon the purpose 0fthis Bill.
The cost of this adjustment would be a slight increase in pedestrians, as only a small
number of Hawaii residents walk this road on any given day. And those pedestrians are
the ones who respect Waipi'o Valley and its residents, who move out of the way for
cars, and who do not trespass on private lands; because this, too, is part of their home.
Do not dismiss nor underestimate this group; aswe,too, embrace and perpetuate
Hawaiian culture and aloha for the land.
We urge you to vote NO on Bill No. 217, Draft#I
K4aha|ofor your consideration and Happy Holidays,
The Knowles 'Ohana
Ahua|oa & Waimea
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