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McCully Works
69 Railroad Ave. A-19
Hilo, Hi. 96720
July 3, 2023 `'
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07,
Council Member Cindy Evans, Chair
Council Member Sue Lee Lo D-3 `r' ;-:;;"
Committee on Governmental Operations and External Affairs
SUPPORT - Hawaii County Resolution #199-23
Aloha Chair Evans, Sue, and Committee Members
I write in Strong Support of this Resolution which seeks to act as a catalyst
towards solving the ongoing problems with (on) Banyan Drive. Everyone in
Hilo has watched this slow motion disaster develop for the last 20 years
culminating in the dangerous and costly hazard that is the ex-Uncle Billy's
property.
The obvious problem is that it is state owned property and therefore there is
no sense of urgency or importance to the Banyan Drive peninsula as a
whole, leaving individual properties to fail on their own. It is now Uncle
Billy's that has all the focus, but the Country Club hotel is not very far
behind and the Reed's Bay Hotel has serious site issues as well. There is a
good case to be made that all those properties should be removed and left as
open space for all of the community, and visitors as well, to enjoy that new
access to Hilo Bay. The fact is that more than 70% of the peninsula is
undeveloped, and underutilized, as a unfrequented golf course which
provides an obvious answer to the question as to how to proceed; a Master
Plan for Banyan Drive independent of DLNR's control and guided by a local
authority that is vested in the success of the area. (see HB1385, 2023, etc)
In the immediacy of the moment it is the crisis at Uncle Billy's site that
demands our attention. Given the years that have passed since the site was
relinquished to the Land Division there have been many opportunities for the
DLNR to plan and act to have prevented this catastrophe. However they
have not. It has not been a priority for DLNR to plan or manage any of the
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resort properties in Hilo. In fact they have opposed or refused to act on any
legislative proposals or solutions to the Banyan Drive conundrum since Act
219 of 2012 (Hilo Hawaiian extension of lease). The focus instead has been
to collect and preserve the existing rents and to avoid investing any of their
departmental funds in improving the area, instead they have financed a few
studies that seemed to have been directed towards defending themselves or
preserving the status quo.
An Emergency Proclamation could be the most expedient and efficient path
towards resolving this mess. Resolution No. 199-23 urges Gov. Josh Green
to assume control through his Executive Powers and initiate and complete
through the timely use of existing state funds ($8mm in 2023 DLNR budget)
a disaster that has continued for far too long.
Please Support Resolution No. 199-23
Mahalo,
Jim McCully
Hawaii Island Board Member, Hawaii Tourism Authority
Member, Banyan Drive Hawaii Redevelopment Authority