HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0898.041 2020-2022 P/PCpbu
COMM.Sq?
From: Maki Morinoue
Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2023 8:47 AM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Inaba, Holeka; Villegas, Rebecca; Kagiwada, Jennifer, Galimba, Michelle M.; Kanealii-
Kleinfelder, Matt; Kimball, Heather, Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Evans, Cynthia F.W.-,'.Lee I oy,
Sue
Subject: Hawai'i County Council Bill 194
Aloha Hawaii County Council Members,
Thank you for this opportunity.
I am in support of Bill 194.
Bill 194 aims to ensure that conditions of rezoning are met in the agreed time frame and if they
are not, that the County Council rather than the Planning Director has the authority to grant an
initial time extension for the completion of these conditions. It would also invite and allow public
input to ensure responsible and culturally appropriate development on our island moving forward
that is regenerative and not extractive.
There is a lack of trust in the Planning Director due to conflicts of interest, and Kona residents
have been negatively impacted by irresponsible development, rising housing costs, and a lack of
available long-term rentals. The planning department needs to consider the impact on precious
cultural sites, flood zones, the environment, and the community. Climate catastrophe
preparedness must be a priority in new permitting standards and the allowance of extensions.
In Kona, we have witnessed permits that were stopped in 2017 due to a lack of cultural
appropriation and catastrophic preparedness that sat with no actions forward for 5 years
recently given time extensions by Zendo Kern in 2022. Now scraping and developing those
lands without addressing any of our Hawai'i State Constitutional Rights that stopped it in the first
place by Aunty Simmi McMichaels. The law has been broken and the planning director has too
much authority over the clients he represents as local residents face displacement and
homelessness due to offshore investors flipping homes like pancakes. Offshore investors want
to rezone our AG lands and often abuse the term affordable housing with time extensions
allowing bad development we stopped to continue as usual. We have witnessed for generations
the game of waiting and playing the long game of selling off our land to foreign investors using
time extensions as a method and technique to move forward without responsibility.
The residents of Hawai'i Island need a voice in decisions that affect their community and its
future and hold landowners accountable for the land they purchased.
I am asking all of you to pass this bill today unanimously.
Thank you for your time.
Aloha
Maki Morinoue
96725
-- Comm. Ne.
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