HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0159.117 2024-2026p /.5. c wicli
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From: arleen richartz
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 9:17 PM o:�
To: Council Testimony ('
Subject: Waikoloa's Second Arterial Road
Dear Chair and Council Members:
I have been a Waikoloa Village resident for several years. I am a kupuna and recently widowed. I wish
to echo the plea of my friends and neighbors in support of Communication 159.41 to amend Bill No:-32,
Draft 2.
We fully support this amendment for funding the initial engineering of Waikoloa's second arterial road.
In addition to families, there are a lot of us kupunas who call Waikoloa Village home and love living
here. As our community attracts more residents --expected to almost double from 2008 to 2030--traffic
concerns will and have become a serious problem.
Waikoloa wildfires have become more frequent and intense as a result of summer drought conditions
and more extreme red -flag wind conditions.
Back in 2008, the Waikoloa Village Plan identified the threat of wildfires as the most significant type of
natural disaster threatening the community and gave very high priority to the construction of a second
access road connecting Waikoloa Village to Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway.
Real estate tax revenue generated by Waikoloa is approximately $25 million annually, about the cost of
building the planned second arterial road.
The Attorney General's second report on the Lahaina Fire specifies Waikoloa Village as having a worse
catastrophic wildfire risk than Lahaina.
Needless to say, none of us wants to see another tragedy like we saw in Lahaina.
A second arterial access highway in Waikoloa is long overdue and should be a top funding priority as it
could save lives in the event of another emergency evacuation.
May we count on your leadership to address our community's safety needs and urge you to vote "yes"
on this amendment?
Respectfully,
Arleen Richartz
Waikoloa Village Homeowner
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