HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0595.113 2020-2022 P/ nc�
bill 112
cow 5b
From: dennismmnb
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2022 11:24 AM
To: Council Testimony 3
Cc: Villegas, Rebecca; Inaba, Holeka; Lee Loy, Sue; Richards, Tim; Kimball, Heather, Kierkiewicz,
Ashley; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; David, Maile; Chung, Aaron;Wendy Laros
Subject: Bills 112 and 115: SUPPORT
Hawaii County Council:
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The Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce represents over 400 Hawaii Island employer members,with a workforce of over
15,000 employees. We support Council Bills 112 and 115.
The Chamber has designated Housing as one of its priority issues for 2022 and supports housing projects at all inventory levels 3
in West Hawaii. Our members are keenly aware of the shortage of housing, particularly affordable housing,as they attempt to 3
recruit and retain employees,and our Permitting Task Force, now the Permitting and Housing Task Force, has been providing I
community input to the County Department of Public Works on an on-going basis over the last several years to attempt to
improve the permitting process to facilitate both commercial and residential construction.
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The Kumu Hou project,the subject of these two bills, in addition to providing a significant number of affordable housing units,
has to our knowledge, overcome all the concerns that were raised in Council Committee hearings. As currently configured, it
maintains these units as"affordable"over a significant time frame, commits to a net-zero impact on the aquifer, maintains
open space,designates historic lands to public entities, and targets contributions to issues of affordable housing and tourism
management.
We urge your support of Bills 112 and 115 in the interest of providing affordable housing alternatives for West Hawaii
residents.
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Dennis Boyd
Chair, KKCC Permitting and Housing Task ForceICA)
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Kona-Kohala
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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