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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0609.020 2022-2024 P/Council Sill 107 GOMM, 60q JOSH GREEN.M.D. !"I l. �';%� KALI WATSON GOVERNOR f } CH AIRMAN.Mil STATE OF HAWAII i J}II § t t� yflaxen, tSSt A'.A rn hrnn n An IIMv h+rrn'r, (t y'/•, j j • STINIA J.LUKE KATIE L.DUCATT LT GOVERNOR DEPUTY TO(HE CHAIRMA' STATE OF HAW'AII An Haft.Ain limn n An 11nAv Tuna o/MN t STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS Ka 'Oihana 'Aina Ho'opulapula Hawaii P 0 BOX 1879 HONOLULU.HAWAII 96805 rV c—+ C) C7 C, January 8, 2024 Fes., .s.a Honorable Heather Kimball Hawai`i County Council Chair 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 RE: Testimony Requesting Bill 107 Be Amended to Exclude DHHL Trust Lands Aloha Honorable Council Chair Kimball and Council Members, I am writing to request that Bill 107 be amended to exclude the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands(DHHL)trust lands from the Puna Makai Alternate Route(PMAR)study. DHHL is supportive of the intent of the study to provide a safe alternative route between Puna and Hilo to address risks from natural hazards and to relieve traffic congestion for Puna residents, however, DHHL is strongly opposed to any consideration of a proposed by-pass route through would run through DHHL trust lands. The 2016 DHHL Pana`ewa Regional Plan identified a potential alternative route that would alleviate traffic between Puna and Hilo,avoid adverse impacts on DHHL Pana`ewa homestead lessees and trust lands, and additional congestion on Railroad Avenue and DHHL's commercial areas. A map of that alternative route is enclosed for future consideration for the PMAR study. Mahalo for your time and consideration of this request. Please involve DHHL and the Keaukaha Pana`ewa Farmers Association in future conversations and meetings regarding this matter. Sincerely, Kali Watson.Chairman Hawaiian Homes Commission Comm. No. I I • U• Ref. To: I,t�� 4 Ref. Date ! t4 1 0 2024 �4'l� 1 Y 5 g'.•.Y7 JOSH GREEN.M.D. , l". `- KALI WATSON GOVERNOR ' f f { CHAIRMAN.HNC STATE OE HAWAII I t,t t Ka Luna Ho'okek Koko'ana'o ;�i`g� k S1'LVIA J.LL"LE ••'� KATIE L.DI(ATT LT.GOVERNOR .�� DEPUTY TO THE CHAIRMAN STATE OF HAWAII A"a Hope Al dna o ku.lbku uno Ka Hope ben No'okek STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS Ka 'Oihana .lineHo'opulapula Haw ai'I P.O.BOX 1879 HONOLULU.HAWAII 96805 TESTIMONY OF KALI WATSON, CHAIRMAN HAWAIIAN HOMES COMMISSION BILL 107 January 8, 2024 Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony regarding Bill 107, which proposes to amend Ordinance No. 23-51, by adding the following project: PUBLIC WORKS: Puna Makai Alternate Route Study— County $500,000 (110.388.5380.28) Puna Makai Alternate Route Study — State $1 ,000,000 (110.388.5380.27) The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) understands that in 2022, $1,000,000 in Capital Improvement Project funds was approved by the State under the condition that the County of Hawaii matches $500,000. DHHL also understands that the $1,500,000 would be used to conduct site surveys on the island of Hawai`i to identify the most suitable location for an alternate route in Puna below Highway 130. DHHL would like to offer the following comments regarding Bill 107. While DHHL is supportive of the intent of the measure to relieve traffic congestion for Puna residents, DHHL strongly opposes any consideration of a proposed alternate route that would run through an existing DHHL homestead community. Alternate routes for Puna Makai that have been preliminarily reviewed and intend to be explored by this proposed study would affect Pana`ewa Homestead Community (est.1954) and Keaukaha Homestead Community (est. 1924). With the adoption of the DHHL Panaewa Regional Plan in 2016, the Hawaiian Homes Commission took a position to oppose any proposed by-pass route through Rail Road Avenue. The utilization of Rail Road Avenue would unjustly burden Panaewa Department of Hawaiian Home Lands January 8, 2024 Page 2 homestead lessees with additional traffic. The DHHL Panaewa Regional Plan did identify potential alternative routes that could alleviate traffic coming into Hilo from Puna and avoid adverse impacts to DHHL Panaewa Homestead lessees. A map of those alternative routes are enclosed for future consideration during the selection of a by-pass route. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony. l J, tii i I„ kaih'iki Amauulu R ` =n'. d -Oao/a gt s liie i" l 170 v ‘: N 11111 1 . " .;► /� �� %w;# 11111 t r i i%•'1 , ��II:IIIt r 0'P 1A+-11:iiiilli 1 lir /r 1 stillifV. �sf d• �� '' kp f - IIli!' 1-5,', , -',„ lg. i 0' 7 _ 1'. Il d ' • 3s ARC , ',It -.1III ri �t . �t-- :, —05 r 1 IP *jitIl;1k11%r.tu 2 TiN* r� IA& I 0aIy' 'a- ,' ---I v .2�a CC< ir 1 O. N N. 4 92P O o T F 1 K a •Oa 1aW" na" 7 * ✓, -Delete connection to Railroad Ave icn0 2 Ainakah= , e�a`�°• 1 S ; P ° i'r � sl ces o Rd..*• au ssyma m -, Kuaaira 14 `. ss t,ECIENP DATE:8/17/2016 M Planning Area Residential_Homestead_Lots FIGURE 15 Proposed GP Roads Amendment I I <0.5 acre Existing and Proposed Roads ----• Proposed GP Collector Roads Supplemental Ag Lots in Relation to Lot Density 1. mom= State Highways 000000-3.000000 County Roads `13.000001-5.000000 Pa na ewa Other unimproved roads III.5.000001-10.000000 Regional Plan Update - 10.000001-12.500000 No. I % . 00: 1 �i/11' Miles pm l l\\\\l l Disclaimer This graphic has been prepared for general planning purposes only and should not be used for boundary interpretations or other spatial analysis.