HomeMy WebLinkAboutKlicker, Phyllis
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Phyllis Klicker <phyllis.klicker@islandproperties.com>
Sent:Friday, September 11, 2026 10:54 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Testimony in OPPOSITION to Bills 186 and 187 (Applicant: Waikoloa Green LLC)
Aloha Councilmember,
I am writing as a resident of Waikōloa Village to express my opposition to Bills 186 and 187.
I want to be clear that I am not opposed to housing or responsible growth. Waikōloa needs additional
housing, including affordable housing. My concern is that development must occur alongside the
infrastructure necessary to protect the people who already live here, as well as those who will live here in
the future.
The most urgent issue is a second access road.
Waikōloa Village now has nearly 7,000 residents and essentially one primary road in and out. The
County’s 2008 Community Development Plan identified a second access road as a very high priority.
Eighteen years later, that road still does not exist.
During the 2021 Mana Road fire evacuation, residents experienced significant traffic congestion, with
some people sitting in traffic for more than an hour simply trying to reach Waikōloa Road. Our population
was smaller at that time. In an actual fast-moving wildfire, having thousands of residents dependent on a
single route for evacuation is a serious public-safety concern.
The State Attorney General’s investigation following the Lāhainā disaster also identified Waikōloa as
having an exceptionally high wildfire risk. Given that reality, I believe it is reasonable to ask that
additional development not move forward without concrete commitments to improve our ability to
evacuate safely.
Water reliability is another critical part of this issue.
During a wildfire, firefighters need a reliable water supply—not simply an adequate supply under normal
conditions. Concerns about the reliability of our water system during an emergency have already been
raised with the Public Utilities Commission and remain part of the ongoing Act 258 rulemaking.
Before approving additional growth, I respectfully ask the Council to consider whether the existing water
system will be capable of meeting firefighting demands during an emergency, particularly when
considering the cumulative development planned within the Waimea Aquifer area—not simply the needs
of Bills 186 and 187 individually.
Our schools also deserve consideration.
Waikōloa Elementary and Middle School serves our growing community, yet during the school day,
students could potentially face the same evacuation limitations as the rest of our residents if a fast-
moving wildfire were to threaten the Village. The County’s Community Development Plan recognized the
1
future need for another school as Waikōloa grows, but it also identified the second access road as a
community priority.
To me, the order is important: safe access and evacuation infrastructure must come first.
I respectfully ask that you withhold approval of Bills 186 and 187 until there are meaningful, funded,
and scheduled commitments for the infrastructure necessary to support this growth safely. Plans
and long-standing priorities are important, but after 18 years, Waikōloa needs more than plans. We need
funding, commitments, and a realistic timeline.
I believe we can support housing and growth while also protecting the safety of the people who already
call Waikōloa home. Housing and safe infrastructure should move forward together—not one
without the other.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to the concerns of Waikōloa residents and for considering the
safety of our community.
Mahalo nui,
Phyllis Klicker
Waikōloa Village Resident
®
REALTOR Salesperson, RS-77134
808-217-6816
phyllis.klicker@islandproperties.com
67-1185 Mamalahoa Hwy Ste E128
Kamuela, HI 96743
https://pklicker.islandproperties.com/
Founded the Waikoloa Loan Closet
2