HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0189.084 2020-2022 May 3, 2021
County Council
Via email
RE: Testimony
Res. 83-21: KE ALA KAKOU (HOLUALOA COMMUNITY FOREST)
Mitigating FEMA Flood Hazard, protecting Holualoa Village from immediate flood
damage & connecting Civic Spaces (IMIN Center & Holualoa Elementary School)
to strengthen the community. It would nourish the existing cultural practices
in Holualoa and connect educational spaces. Becoming more disaster prepared
to host displaced Kailua-Kona and South Kona residents in case of tsunami
and/or Mauna Loa eruption.
Our community would greatly benefit from the development of a safe walking
path off the main highway. The land could also benefit the community by having
native and fruit bearing trees for the use of the local community. Native plants,
lauhala, ulu, etc. can be used to help perpetuate the multi-cultural members of
our community.
Being born in Kona and raised in Holualoa, I am very concerned about the
current growth and development in our small Holualoa Community. We humbly
request that more attention and supervision be given to our small
community. Our small community lacks adequate infrastructure. There are too
many vehicles utilizing our narrow two lane highway. Parking is totally lacking
in our area. Street vendors are being allowed to encroach their tents into the
pedestrian lane and into the traffic lanes. Some vendors block or obstruct the
sight from vehicles trying to exit their private driveways, they are an attractive
nuisance which has caused many near miss motor vehicle and pedestrian
accidents.
Holualoa is only 2.5 miles from the ocean, if we create a riparian community
forest, it could help slow down the water flow in this FEMA Flood hazardous
PONC parcel. The community forest could assist by slowing the flow and filtering
the water back down into our aquifer system to protect our village and our ocean
quality. This forest has the potential to reflect our cultural background, giving
our local people a sense of place.
The walking path, would connect two major educational civic spaces (Kona IMIN
Community Center & Holualoa Elementary School). It could support our
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community economically, assist in flood mitigation, create community
connection and help build Kupuna, Keiki to teens programming during and after
school hours. It could also enhance support to all existing cultural events and
classes that already exist in Holualoa like our weekly Lauhala weaving group,
Hula, Mixed Martial Arts and our church/temple members. Our annual events
like Bon Dance, Children's Festival, New Year Ceremony, Holualoa Elementary
School's Spring/Winter Festivals, Kona Coffee Cultural events, Music & Lights
Festival and the Arts. The walking path could build a stronger community to
support potential natural disasters from Mauna Loa eruption or tsunami by
preparing and connecting these civic spaces.
This small lot has multiple potential if given the chance that goes beyond just a
green open space. For that reason I feel this POMC
Parcel, Ke Ala Kakou (Holualoa Community Forest) is worth the financial venture
for the future of our land, our culture and our next generation that reaches
beyond our village into our Ahupua'a connection.
We would also request that you look into acquiring additional land for parking
and to get the street vendors relocated to a new parking lot. This would get both
the vendors, vehicles and pedestrians off the main highway. A possible area to
consider is the empty lots directly makai of the Kona Koyasan. We also request
that your stop the growth for businesses like, B&B, hotels, etc., that would add
more people and vehicles to our narrow highway, our small community cannot
safely accommodate anymore growth.
Thank you for consideration.
Sincerely,
Barbara Watanabe
Holualoa Hi 96725