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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD H.K.ONISHI; DISTRICT 2
STATE OF HAWAII
STATE CAPITOL
415 SOUTH BERETANIA STREET; Room 438 "' ‹D try
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HONOLULU, HAWAII 96813 =
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Subject: Testimony for Hawaii County Council Resolution No. 199-23 ? „ -:w
Date: July 3, 2023
Dear Members of the Committee on Governmental Operations and External Affairs
My name is Richard Onishi and I am the State Representative for the Hawaii State of
Representatives District 2. I support the resolution to ask Governor Green to issue an
emergency proclamation to provide relief to the Hilo community by allowing for the
immediate removal of the former Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel structures and to prepare
the land to be designated as open space to address climate change and sea level rise.
My district includes about 70% of Hilo and borders on the Banyan Drive peninsula.
have been active over the past 6 years in trying to pass a bill at the Hawaii State
Legislature to establish a planning committee for the redevelopment of the Banyan
Drive peninsula but lacked the support from the Hawaii State Senate and the
Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The demise and the deterioration of the former Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel has been
one of the major reasons for the need to have a redevelopment plan formulated. The
problems with the lack of effort and prioritization by the Department of Land and Natural
Resources to address the conditions of the property has festered and fueled the
security and health problems that are now affecting the Banyan Drive peninsula and the
Hilo community.
I urge the members of the Committee and the full Hawaii County Council to support and
pass this resolution so Governor Green can provide immediate support and action to
address these problems that the former Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel creates to the
Banyan Drive peninsula and the Hilo community.
Mahalo,
Richard H. K. Onishi
State Representative District 3
Comm. NN . Ibq��
Ref.Tot r I od�50
Ref. Dane L, _ 5. 2023