HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0241.026 2022-2024 P/ LAA Re). ILll-23
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From: Tanya Souza
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2023 6:35 AM ,
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Please Support Res. 141-23
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Aloha members of Hawai'i County Council: 7''
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SUBJECT: Please Support Res.141-23 A Resolution Authorizing The Director Of Finance To Enter Into
Negotiations For The Acquisition Of A Conservation Easement Of Tax Map Key(3)7- 6-004: 003 Situated In The
District Of North Kona,Also Known As Historic 88 Temples Walk, Utilizing The Public Access, Open Space,And
Natural Resources Preservation Fund.
Mahalo for providing the opportunity to share my support for Resolution 141-23. My name is Tanya Souza, I am a proud
parent of a student that attends Holualoa Elementary School and I am also a practicing archaeologist here in Kona. I have
worked in the field of Historic Preservation for the past sixteen years, both in the private and government sectors.
The acquisition of a Conservation Easement(CE)is a special opportunity for the County to protect and preserve Holualoa`s
rich and irreplaceable cultural heritage. I have three main reasons for my support and I outline them below:
(1) A CE will provide the opportunity for community involvement through recreation, education "an outdoor
classroom"and social interaction.
The proposed easement parcel is located in the heart of Holualoa Village,situated immediately north and adjacent
of Holualoa Elementary School. Preserved elements within this easement will provide the community and its
visitors with a sense of place and deeper understanding of its rich history.The Holualoa Village is active in bringing
together its children, long-time and new residents, and visitors from around the world. The Coffee and Art Stroll,
First Fridays, and the Music and Light festival at Holualoa are just a few events that bring the community together.
A CE will allow the Holualoa Village`Ghana to enhance the visitor experience by including a safe public pedestrian
access trail—extending from the School to the Community Center.
I would also like to recognize the Pulama la Kona Heritage Preservation Council that will be supporting the Holualoa
Village `Ghana as potential stewards of the proposed CE. Pulama la Kona Heritage Preservation Council has the
professionalism and capacity to work with educators and the public in raising preservation awareness and
education.
A CE will provide the neighboring elementary school with the setting and tools necessary to perpetuate Holualoa's
legacy and engage children with interactive exploration. Having an "outdoor classroom" will give educators and
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preservationists the opportunity to work together to introduce young learners to the power of Historic
Preservation. As a village, we are raising future advocators and protectors of our heritage.The acquisition of a CE
and later use of the property for educational purposes will encourage students to move beyond understanding the
historical environment, but more importantly protecting it.
(2) Acquisition of a conservation easement would facilitate the restoration and protection of the cultural landscape
and historic structures,such as pre-Contact agricultural walls and the Shikoku Pilgrimage Monument.
The acquisition of a CE will provide the community and students of Holualoa the opportunity to actively restore its
cultural and environmental landscape.This effort may require the removal of invasive vegetation and alien species
(e.g.the Little Fire Ants), and out planting of diversified native plant species. Removing the invasive plants will also
reveal any historic structures that could be inventoried and documented by archaeologists and preservationists
associated with the Pulama la Kona Heritage Preservation Council.
Furthermore, a CE will allow protective measures for the recently repaired Shikoku Pilgrimage Monument. The
2.488-acre parcel of the proposed CE is situated within the traditional Kona Field System, recognized as,one of the
most impacted agricultural systems on the island.Much of the Kona Field System has been destroyed or significantly
modified by modern farming and development. Preserving a section of the field system will provide opportunities
for further research and adaptive reuse projects, such as the revitalization of traditional agricultural practices and
food production for the community.
(3) Acquisition of a conservation easement would include a safe walking path and pedestrian access to public
venues and other destinations in Holualoa village
An acquisition of a CE will provide a safe and enjoyable walking path that will connect the Holualoa Elementary
School and the Imin Community Center. As a parent that drives along the Mamalahoa Highway on a daily basis to
drop my daughter to school, I see children and parents walking alongside vehicular traffic from the Holualoa Village
parking area, or the Immaculate Conception Church parking lot.This has always been a safety concern for me, as I
see that parents are forced to walk immediately adjacent to a busy highway to avoid the heavy morning and after
school traffic.A CE will secure an alternative route forr parents to drop-off and pick-up their kids in the morning.
Ma halo for the opportunity to provide my support for Res. 141-23. I ask that the Council consider the benefits and
opportunities that will result from the acquisition of a Conservation Easement at Holualoa.
Tanya Souza, M.A.
96740
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