HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0941.016 2022-2024Aloha and good morning. I am Joel Gimpel, Vice President of the Pualani Estates at Kona
Homeowners Association. Our community of 362 single family residences is several hundred yards
north of the subject property.
I was elated last month when your Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions voted 6 to 3
to approve Resolution 561-24, authorizing the County Commissioner of Finance to initiate discussions
with the property owner regarding the County's acquisition of the property using the Public Access,
Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund (PONC) in order to protect and preserve the
historic and culturally important site.
The property, as you know, is the subject of Bill 169, which would authorize a ten year extension to
complete construction of a 450 housing unit subdivision. Because the Bill has been strongly opposed
by us and many others, including environmentalists, the Cultural Resources Commission, and Kona
Community Development Commission, we strongly support and urge your unanimous adoption of this
Resolution to initiate negotiations with the property owner.
Such an action will indicate your agreement with the many concerns expressed by the community and
experts in the field with respect to the proposed development of the property, and thereby facilitate
negotiations for the County's purchase of the property. The purchase would also help the property
owner recover his costs and make a reasonable profit while preserving the important and irreplaceable
historical and cultural assets and eliminating the inevitable harm to the environment that we have
pointed out to you on many occasions.
Mahalo for your attention.
Joel Gimpel
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii