HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0159.134 2024-2026In. GOW01
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GOMM. f:59
From: Jessica Lipcsei
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2025 10:06 AM c
To: Council Testimony i C
Subject: Support for Funding Engineering of Second Road — Communication 159.41'
Aloha Chair and Members of the Council,
My name is Tom Ward and I am a resident of Waikoloa
strong support for Communication 159.41 and urge you to pass the amendment to
No. 32, Draft 2, to fund the initial engineering of a second arterial road.
Village. I'm writing to vdice my
Bill
Waikoloa is growing rapidly, but our infrastructure hasn't kept up —especially when it
comes to safety. With only one main road in and out, the entire Village is at risk during
emergencies. In the 2021 wildfire, traffic was backed up for over an hour during the
evacuation. If the fire had reached us, many people could have been trapped.
The County's own 2008 plan called this road a "very high priority" to prevent the loss of
life. Yet here we are in 2025, still without funding for even the initial engineering.
Meanwhile, the risk of wildfire has only grown worse. During the Lahaina fires in 2023,
several wildfires burned within sight of our Village. The only reason we weren't directly
hit was because the winds carried the flames in another direction.
We need to stop relying on luck.
Please vote to fund the engineering of the second arterial road. This is about saving
lives —not just improving traffic. We can't afford to wait any longer.
Mahalo for your time and leadership.
Tom Ward
Waikoloa Village
Comm. No
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