HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0314.015 2020-2022 t ` 2
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Aloha County Council Members
Thank you for your time and listening to my concerns as a fulltime multigenerational kama'aina resident.
I strongly oppose the passing of Bill 52 and 53!
I am asking the County Council to say NO to Ohana Units, get the preservation plan up to date and do a
survey now, no rentals or transient people in local neighborhoods & No rezoning, keep AG Lands as AG
lands. Make landowners take care of our land and participate in food security instead.
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Timothy Joseph Ward & Kay Lynn Ward are owners from Omaha, Nebraska wanting to rezone for offshore
profits on TMK: (3) 7- 3- 005: 015 into a 6 lot subdivided residential area by REZONING our precious
agricultural land with a significant archeological site on the property does not support our local people pore
perpetuate support for our cultural landscape & sustainability for generations to come. The idea that this
location is deemed an urbanised area should heed warning to how we utilise our land and protect our
natural resources. IT is not OK to develop even more.
They purchased agricultural land, it wasn't a surprise. They needed to abide by the zoning rules and
regulations in which they purchased the land. This change impacts many people & our cultural landscape
and our natural resources to only benefit Katrina Kerns' company Land Planning Hawaii and these offshore
investors, the Wards.
John Pipan of Land Consulting Hawaii formerly known as Zendo Kerns &Associates is continually trying to
resubmit an amendment to this Bill for the permission to build an Ohana unit on one of the properties after
the Leeward Planning Commission said NO Ohana Housing whatsoever to protect the traffic and density
coming out of this land that will spill into an old existing local neighborhood making their currently safe quiet
cul de sac for their children and elders and threaten a safe heaven they have had for three generation.
We lack parks in Kona, near neighborhoods and up along cool climate areas. Quiet cul de sacs are a safe
haven for our local families. Opening up a road into this area could increase cars up to about 12-13 cars
depending on Ohana housing if each home has two cars which is the norm here in Hawaii.
I ask the County Council to demand that the preservation plan be up to date and do the survey again now,
for the respect of our culture and `aina. The language from the Ward's dumbing down our archeological
site in July's meeting referring to this sacred area, to some "burned nuts" in a small lava tube is absolutely
distasteful and disrespectful as it was recognised by the previous Archaeological site visit.
As a multigenerational kama'aina, I have seen the effects of changes in agricultural land that has been
turned into subdivided residential lots for more profit. It has created over density, inviting multiple home
owners that are not occupying the homes for the majority of the year. This raises our taxes for the local full
time residents as we also struggle with affordable housing for our working middle class residents to rent
and first time local homeowners to buy. I personally have had difficulties finding a home for the past 3.5
years at market price. Only cash paying residents can afford a home right now that is close to 1 million
dollars. Their recent language change claiming `affordable housing'with no numbers or terms to speak of
is a SHAM.
I am a farmer, a 3rd generation willing to work the lands for our people and Rezoning and offshore profiting,
inflations, without supporting closed circle economic diversity is one of the reasons my generation and
younger can not afford to live here.
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Chopping up natural land into residential property is disruptive and destructive.
The majority of the developments over the last 20 years has lent itself to increased Staph infections with
more frequent brown water run off, sand and soil contamination and an imbalance to our natural resources.
With more frequent King Tides, floods as climate change becomes evident amongst our shorelines and
mountain slopes, we have higher risk in sand and water contamination. We have already increased
warnings from the State Department of Health with "CAUTION, High Bacterial Levels, contact with water
may cause illness", signage posted on our beaches.
Growing up here we did not have to add sanitizing sprays and creams in our beach bag. Now it is a must
to prevent vicious flesh eating staph infections. I myself have had an alarming experience. We grew up
going to the sea for wound healing. Now we must stay away when you have a wound.
For these reasons I strongly oppose Bill 52 & 53 for rezoning in this densely populated area. Our culture,
our land to sea relationships and our water is more valuable than profit made by a few while creating
overdensity and the negative impact it will have on our island for generations to come through the
detrimental outcomes to our limited natural resources and changing climate. Have the Ward's build one
family home and one farm house, make people grow food for our people instead. They purchased
agricultural land, let them take that responsibility in which they chose to buy in the first place.
Attached to my written testimony is an image of our Water Cycle table and an infrared image of cold
mountain water coming out to sea. It gives the County Council a visual understanding how contamination
on the land relates to contamination in the ocean. The images were taken by UH Manoa.
Ua Mau ke Ea o ka aina i ka Pono l
Mahalo for your time,
Maki Morinoue