HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0595.042 2020-2022 From: Lauren Kapono
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2022 8:50 AM
To: Council Testimony, Kimball, Heather; Chung, Aaron; Lee Loy, Sue; Kierkiewicz, Ashley,
Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; David, Maile;Villegas, Rebecca; Inaba, Haleka; Richards, Tim
Subject: STRONG OPPOSITION to Bill 112 and Bill 115
Aloha Planning Committee Members,
Please accept this testimony in STRONG OPPOSITION to Bill 112 and Bill 115. The
Kumu Hou project at Waikoloa is seeking to rezone nearly 180 acres of land in the Waikoloa s :„
Resort area to allow for the development of 900 additional time share units. While the developers C::
state they have secured water rights and plans for waste water treatment,the development offl
these additional units will surely contribute to the problem of overused and undermaintained
infrastructure in Hawaii County. b
Moreover, here in Hawaii County and across the state, we continue to see developments _
be approved based on the promise of affordable housing and potential job creation. In the case of
Kumu Hou, while the master project's affordable housing requirement was supposedly met over
40 years ago via a land donation, we continue to find ourselves in a housing crisis where local
families are in need of truly affordable housing with an option to purchase.
Ultimately, Kumu Hou must be held to the highest standard to justify why this re-zoning
should be approved, other than the jobs it might create and the addition of only 140 "affordable"
units that are rent-only. According to the South Kohala CDP General Policy future developments
should:
• Provide affordable and workforce housing resources for low and moderate-income
individuals, families, and for those residents of South Kohala with special needs.
• Respect the culture, character, beauty, and history of our State's island communities
• Strike a balance between economic, social and community, and environmental priorities
• Meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of fixture generations to
meet their own needs.
Unfortunately, in the case of Kumu Hou,the project focuses on growth in tourism and the
economic gain of developers, all at the continued expense of our local community and the
infrastructure we rely on. Please consider our current needs as well as the needs of future
generations and do what is right, VOTE "NO" ON BILL 112 AND BILL 115.
Thank you,
Lauren Kapono
Lauren M. Kapono
Master of Science Student
Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science
University of Hawaii at Hilo
" f have c oaaraa„ge, it is because I be l e rt,l in the knoTrlevd,,,oe of filly ancestors.ug'p apea ;1hul
Ref. To:
Ref. Dote
1