HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0896.111 2022-2024 p/Council
Pill ((oa
CONK NC,
From: Derek I.
Sent: Sunday, July 7, 2024 4:39 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Oppose 169, Oppose extensions for Kona 3LLC County Council Upcoming,Mee g
=c
For Hawaii County Council meeting July 10 2024,testimony in opposition to further extensions or consideration given to Kona{LT C
Aloha Kakou,
z_r~
2
I want to thank the County Council for requesting and accepting community input related to the continued efforts by group of
financiers,investors currently known as Kona Three, LLC to extend permits and build on land that the community feels should be left
as open space.I would like to have attended and shared these thoughts with you in-person but unfortunately I have off-Island
commitments that could not be changed.
I have significant concerns and want to clearly state that I am opposed to any construction or permit extensions or reestablishment
of original permits were from the 1980s time frame.
It's my understanding that this group of financiers purchased the land in or around the year 2016.It seems the price was very low
because there were no permits that were active or assigned to these properties nor should they have been considered as an
enticement for these financiers to buy the land. It would be unfortunate if someone had promised these permits would,be put back
in place to entice them to buy these lands even at the very,very low price they purchased these parcels.I believe that was right at
$600,000 for roughly 80 acres in Kona.Very inexpensive given the amount of acreage that they purchased but likely due to its status
at the time of sale,presumably no permits,no active permits,known active extensions,no entitlements,just simply ag land.
My concern is that any construction,alteration,changes in waterways,watersheds/flood zones,roadways and the resultant
congestion,additional stress on our already challenged infrastructure,impact or destruction of cultural or archaeological artifacts
or structures would be forever erasing the value of this open space and of its meaning to us as kama'aina and to the host culture for
which we must stand to preserve.
I understand that there have been many,many meetings over many years about this land;some of which I have attended.To date,no
commission,committee or past Council has endorsed this to go forward.To the contrary,only negative or conditional
recommendations have ever even been entertained.I don't know why this committee or our current County Council would want to
be the ones that allow for the desecration or alteration in any way of this land. Leeward planning was leaning negative on the entire
development but gave it a chance to go for review with Cultural Resources Commission to see if they would green light from their
perspective.They did NOT green light it.That recommendation was intended to return to Leeward Planning for additional review and
also additional comment by the public.The Cultural Resources Commission recommendation was what appears to be a
resounding NO.Their comments indicated,'no development should occur on this property and it should be preserved in perpetuity'.
Leeward Planning Commission apparently never heard as a group that recommendation and acknowledgment of apparent grave
concerns on the part of CRC. I understand this maybe because of scheduling issues with the financiers,investors and more recent
issues with quorum for the Leeward Planning Commission. I was present for the last Leeward planning meeting on this issue with
Kona Three, LLC(financier,investment group).My recollection is that the Chairperson at the time,Michael Vitousek,saying
something to,the effect that if CRC came back with a negative review they would be disinclined to forward it to County Council.There
was also a discussion that the communitywould have that opportunity to weigh in again about this issue.I'm not sure how this
• ended up jumping past Leeward Planning without the review and opportunity for comment that was promised at the time.It
concerns me that our community of kama'aina,newcomers, Hawaiian practitioners and kupuna in West Hawaii did not have a
chance to address the very relevant concerns and recommendations from the Cultural Resources Commission before reaching this
level.
I'm a long time resident of this area,as is my family for generations.I know this area well and I'm very concerned about any
construction in this area due to its effect on flooding.We already know about the water that ends up overwhelming and closing
Kuakini makai of this property.There are so many concerns and factors that weigh strongly in opposition of any renewal of long
1 Comm. .+
Ref.To: CUM
Ref.Date l'l l nifili(1
expired permits,extensions of long expired permits,or any authorization for any build or construction to happen on these lands.I am
so familiar with this area having grown up on the ahupua'a that are most affected by these decisions.
On behalf of myself and my ohana,my strong recommendation is that this committee and County Council NOT entangle themselves
in the destruction of an open space that puts the community at risk as well as impacts federally protected endangered species as
well as the numerous sites of cultural and archaeological significance that has been noted by Thomas Pohaku Stone and others,see
testimony of CRC and other committees'testimony and documentation.These areas matter to me and my ohana as long time
kama'aina.
Issues with our traffic currently also weigh heavily against any additional development in this area. People heading south just simply
cannot get through in a timely,safe,and efficient way with the current bottlenecks that happen in this area.Plus any connecting
roads through already congested neighborhoods with dangerous connecting points will surely lead to negative consequences.Our
roadways and side streets just cannot handle anything more including through the neighborhoods on either side of this proposed
development.
Please vote NO to any extensions or approvals on this project to protect the best of West Hawai'i and Kona to preserve history and
our future.No one else,through multiple reviews committees and forums,has said yes to extensions or proposals to build. I don't
think this is a legacy that this committee or this Council would like to own going forward when all the adverse impacts become
clearly known to everyone.
My ohana and I appreciate your focused attention to this matter and the needs of our community to preserve past and current
treasures as well as our future safety and security from possibly very significant costs,risk,and damage.
Please afford Ms Villegas,every consideration as she had spent the time understanding the issues and concerns from the experts as
well as the community on this matter.She is our District 7,Council Member and as such her comment should carry more weight,
influence,and attention on this matter within her District.
Mahal()Nui Loa,
Derek Y. Inaba
Kailua-Kona,HI 96740
2