HomeMy WebLinkAboutLake, Ashley
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Ashley Welton Lake <ashley.welton@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 30, 2026 3:16 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Opposition to Bill 147
Aloha Council,
My name is Ashley Lake. My husband and I were born and raised in Kona, and currently live in
Kaloko Mauka. We had a small short term rental in the guest house to our home on our three acres of
agriculture zoned land. The income from that provided necessary support to afford our mortgage and
stay in Hawaii. It’s far from the only job we hold.
We often rented to neighbor island residents traveling to see family that look for housing at an
affordable rate. To give context, the average night cost about $120 and you can’t find a hotel anywhere
for even close to that.
We stopped renting because of the danger of losing our home owner’s classification and the sudden
increase in taxes that would create. Our home’s value has more than doubled since covid and,
knowing that you are trying to eradicate hosted rentals in state land use ag properties, it didn’t make
sense to continue.
But here’s something I am still scratching my head about. Hawaii Island is about 46% state land use
ag. Many residents in these zones rent parts of their home in order to afford to live here. We pay the
taxes associated with it.
Why are you trying to pass legislation that would certainly put us out of business, closing a path that
many, if not today then one day, need in order to afford to live in Hawaii?
Unhosted rentals, the original problem, have been regulated since 2018, why are you going after the
locals now?
The registration process, if you can even register, is onerous and expensive and overreach on the
government’s part.
For those in state land use ag, what is the special use permit process? How much will it cost? How
long will it take? Are you prepared to be flooded with hundreds of applications? Will we be able to
operate until the special use permit is issued?
What’s more likely to happen is we all close shop and that 20% in taxes we pay to the state and county
disappear. Tourists who cannot afford the ridiculous hotel prices will travel elsewhere and neighbor
island residents will not be able to easily visit our island — you know we can’t afford those hotel prices
either. Farmers who subsidize their farms with farm-stays will struggle even harder and many will not
be able to continue.
The county is already working with a budget deficit. Do you have a plan for the money you’ll be losing
by eradicating hosted rentals in state land use ag zones? This doesn’t even take into consideration
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those who could register but will simply not because the process is overly complicated and expensive
and invites far too much oversight from the county.
Have you considered that loss from all angles?
I’ve been asking for years, who does this benefit? It’s absolutely not the island residents.
I wish you would listen to us. We’ve been telling you and telling you and telling you. And yet, you
persist.
Unhosted rentals are already regulated, hosted rentals pay our taxes.
Enough. Please do not pass this bill.
aloha
Ashley
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