HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0314.005 2020-2022 VIM
. t
From: Shantee Brown C0014T`i CLERIC
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2021 12:59 PM COUNTY OF HAWAII
To: Council Testimony RECEIVED
Subject: Oppose Bills 52 and 53 Time ' .
Date AUG 0 2 2021
Hello Council Members, please oppose Bills 52 and 53. 1 live one mile from the proposed site in a neighborhood that rezoned from
Agricultural to Urban within Kalu'ulu(Ulu Belt).You all know how precious water is in Kona. Because I live in the Ulu Belt I am able to
grow kalo in my backyard with no irrigation. I can see that the proposed site is also very lush. Rezoning agricultural lands within
Kalu'ulu minimizes scarce water-rich agricultural lands in Kona and negatively impacts prospective local homeowners.
Before rezoning, homeowners needed to keep food producing trees like macadamia nut, mangos, ulu, and avocado.After my
neighborhood rezoned, most of the trees were cut and there is a luxury development down the street.A few months ago Zillow
listed a 6 bedroom house rental from the development for$20,000 a month! Rezoning has allowed developers to cater to off island
buyers. Current residents(your constituents right now)who may have been able to afford Ag. land cannot compete with the wealthy.
We are one of the few renters on our street. I would love to own land in the area to homestead on but all the best available lots
nearby are luxury developments.
As a society,we cannot afford to cater to developers who build swimming pools, 5,000 sq. ft.vacation homes, and mono-cropped
ornamental yards on our most productive arable land while we import at least 85%of our food and are knee deep in an affordable
housing crisis. Instead of splitting Ag. land into smaller lots with bigger homes we need to change our building codes to make it easier
for multiple families to build small homes on Ag. land within Kalu'ulu.There is plenty of land for new residential developments at
lower elevations.
Shantee Brown
District 8
Sent from my iPhone
Comm. No.
Ref, o:
t Ref. Date 1-