HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0520.025 2022-2024 P / cour)c/it
Dill 87
COMM.520
Ce?
From: Janice Glennie .
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2023 2:12 PM �.: —•�
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Deny Aloha Kia proposal for change of zone c;
>�;
Aloha council members, -_
r-
The request by Aloha Kia to change zoning from resort to limited industrial on their property TMK(3)2-1-6-2—a
stone's throw from sensitive,celebrated,and necessary shoreline—should be denied.The request is the epitome
of developer-generated non-planning.
Beside other reasons for the insensitivity and irrationality of this request,the petitioner's lack of creativity or care
for the people of Hilo is on stark display.Our Hilo downtown area could be a hub for entrepreneurs who have an
eye toward using and enhancing the Smart Growth potential of the town in ways that limit pollution and sprawl,
support small business,and encourage sustainable tourism—businesses that celebrate and help protect the area's
natural,historic,and cultural resources.
My husband and I consider the manini Banyan Drive area our"staycation"destination.Throughout the year,we
and other friends celebrate our birthdays by staying overnight at one of the local hotels.Though the area needs
some TLC,the banyan trees with their majestic greenery provide shade and a sense of natural wonder and home to
many of our feathered friends.And with the changes to nearby downtown park areas,a pedestrian can enjoy a
walk downtown or vice-versa to shop,to see the sights,or purely for healthy exercise.The not-too-manicured golf
course is open to the public and provides more sense of green space for humans and visiting plovers as well as
being a filter to groundwater,while Coconut Island and Reed's Bay Ice Ponds give and add to the feeling that
old(er) Hawai'i is still alive and well and accessible to local residents as well as visitors.Protecting tourism in this
area provides visitors—kama'iana and beyond—the potential for a less expensive,more local experience than
staying at west side,all-inclusive,gated resorts.The property in question itself helps provide a buffer for the
resort/open zoned area from nearby commercial activity and the noise and other pollution created by industrial-
type development which another gas station and parking lot would only exacerbate.
Beside downtown,Banyan Drive,and other small coastal spaces south of the port,Hilo has become the epitome of
soulless sprawl.Runoff from businesses and nearby highways are a threat and damaging to nearshore waters.Are
we actually trying to kill what's left of tourism in Hilo—a former hub for tourist activity that also provides options
for local employment other than driving 100 miles over the saddle each day?
There are already enough gas stations nearby,and what are the various and unforeseen problems that 135 parking
spaces worth of black top will create?If it includes public parking for shoreline use,what will be the impact of that
many more cars and people be on the small,nearby beach?These are all discussions that the community should be
allowed to have before a development plan is on the agenda (i.e.,during the General Plan and regional planning
processes.
Please use your wisdom and integrity to support true land use planning that's community-generated.Please give a
flat"no"to this rezoning.
Mahalo for your consideration of my views in this important matter.
Sincerely and best,
Janice Palma-Glennie and Alastair Glennie c
Kailua-Kona o• 7
Comm. Nis.
Ref. To: b flitriTtil
1
Ref. Dote 5 2023
From: Janice Glennie
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2023 2:06 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Bill 87 rezoning for reed's bay not appropriate
Aloha council members,
It seems that there are some discrepancies regarding Bill 87.Beside that,the Bill seems to ignore far better use of
the area.
My'ohana spends quite a lot of time in Hilo,and we enjoy staying at the hotels on Banyan Drive and the walking
and beach access opportunities in that area.
The light industrial zoning for the purpose of building a car sales lot seems ludicrous and a potential death knell to
one of the more scenic and accessible parts of Hilo town.Sprawl is so vast just outside of that area (including a sea
of car sales lots) that it seems logical to keep that kind of activity away from the shoreline and Banyan Drive.
Meanwhile,provident use of Reed's Bay should include enhancements to helping enjoyment of its natural beauty.
Please don't approve a short sighted,potentially irreversibly damaging rezoning for a sweet Hilo refuge.There are
endless ideas to explore that would respect its beauty,bring more business to local vendors,protect the shoreline
and nearshore resources and provide opportunities for locals and tourists alike to enjoy a precious little slice of
Hawaiian lifesytle and culture.
Mahalo for saying"no"to Bill 87.
Sincerely,
Janice Palma-Glennie
Kailua-kona
1