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From: Sherry Bracken
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2023 11:28 AM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Villegas, Rebecca; Kimball, Heather; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Lee Loy, Sue; Kierwicz,
ti
Ashley; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Galimba, Michelle M.; Inaba, Holeka; Ev.&Is, Cynthia
F.W.
Subject: Testimony re Hawaii County budget re DPW $1.5M _
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Aloha, Council members,
Please accept my testimony for your County Budget hearing on Tuesday, May 16, at 6 p.m.
There is one item in the Hawaii County budget that concerns me—$1.5 Million for Department of Public Works for
"Lako Street extension."
I have to submit this testimony by noon today, Monday, and right now I'm waiting a response to my query(via email and
via phone)to Public Works asking what the money is for. So my testimony might change if I can get an
answer. However, Deanna Sako was kind enough to advise me that DPW says the money is for"Planning and
Design/Survey." That's not specific.
In 2007 and 2008, I sat on the Lako Street Community Advisory Committee—I am a resident on Halawai Place one house
from Lako, one block up from the Lutheran Church. An environmental assessment was done in 2004. I am wondering if
the$1.5 Milion is for a new EIS or EA — if so, it seems to be QUITE a lot of money. If this is what the $1.5 Million is
for—is this excessive? Although$1.5 M is not a huge part of County budget, it seems appropriate that DPW would
provide a specific breakdown for the use of the money.
If the$1.5 Million is for anything other than a new EIS or EA,such as starting construction,that item cannot be
approved. AND I believe a full EIS is required,which seems more in line with a cost of$1.5 Million.
Why is a new EIS needed? Much has changed in the last nearly 20 years, and many assumptions in the EA are now
incorrect. Ali"i Highway hasn't been started. La'aloa Street now exists, between Kuakini Highway and Ali'i
Drive. Ho'omaluhia Drive exists between Ali'i Drive and Kuakini Highway, although it is gated (but could be used for
evacuations, should somebody open the gate). And far more is known about the Keakealaniwahine Complex.
Additionally, there are more issues to tackle:
-New traffic studies and likely new road design must be done, to include morning and evening traffic, especially at Lako
Street and Kuakini Highway, but including Kupuna Street and Kololia Street, both of which intersect Lako Street and are
used as major thoroughfares. A traffic review/redesign would also be necessary for not just the Lako Street/Ali'i Drive
intersection but for Royal Poinciana/Ali'i Drive, which based on one likely design for the Lako/Alii intersection, would be
only 1.7 miles from Lako Street. Traffic on Ali'i Drive is already very congested in that area.
-At the time of the EA, it was assumed Alii Highway would exist; it does not and therefore cannot handle any of the
traffic burden
-There's a proposal to put in a new subdivision (Royal Vistas)above Kuakini Highway at Lako,just south of Pualani
Estates. That development did traffic studies of the Lako/Kuakini intersection, but did so during 2020—during COVID —
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hardly an appropriate look at current traffic. If that project happens, that's another impact at the Lako/Kuakini
intersection.
-Part of the Lako Street Community Advisory Committee's work was looking at HOW to have traffic calming on Lako
Street. Lako Street runs through several subdivisions between Kuakini Highway and the Lutheran Church — hundreds of
homes — and residents in that area need to be able to continue to get on to Lako Street and also not be disturbed by
fast-moving, loud traffic. Even now, when people leave the Lutheran Church or side streets and race up Lako to Kuakini
— it is scary to be crossing the street on foot or trying to enter Lako in a car.
-One critical issue: the historic Keakealaniwahine Complex lies between the current terminus of the current Lako Street
and Ali'i Drive. One possible design places the Lako Street extension just to the north of the complex, but so close that
there are concerns about impacting that historic complex(there's much detail about the Keakealaniwahine Complex in
the 2004 EA).
As you know, if you look at County Property Tax records, all the property, 10 parcels, over 100 acres, surrounding the
potential Lako Street to Ali'i Drive and completely surrounding the Keakealaniwahini Complex is now owned by RMB, a
Canadian development company, which has been purchasing property over the past many years.. Once Lako Street is
put through, it's clear there will be lots of potential new development proposed in this current Agricultural-zoned
property. Your job as County Council members are to make sure the County infrastructure can handle new
development while still maintaining quality of life for existing residents AND protecting cultural and historic
resources. Please do that.
with aloha,
Sherry Bracken
Sherry Bracken
PO Box 248, Kailua-Kona HI 96745
H 808-334-1521 C 808-936-2328
lbkslb@kona.net
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