HomeMy WebLinkAboutRaymond, Doreen
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Doreen Raymond <doreen.raymond@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, September 12, 2026 2:15 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Testimony in OPPOSITION to Bills 186 and 187(Applicant; Waikoloa Green LLC)
Aloha Councilmembers.
My name is Doreen Raymond, and I am a resident of Waikoloa Village.
I'm writing today on behalf of myself, not for any organization or Board that I am a member of.
I have been a resident of Hawaii since the 1980s. I understand the pace of growth on these islands and
am not in opposition to new housing. However, I urge Council to look at the big picture when it comes to
adding hundreds of new homes to Waikoloa Village.
In 2021, my daughter and her family evacuated the village as the Mana Fire came within 3 miles of their
home. It's hard to believe little has been done in over 5 years to add in evacuation capacity since then.
Luckily, they were prepared and were able to get out in under 20 minutes. It was obvious then that
residents in this extremely fire-prone area were living in danger.
The Waikoloa Green proposal looks very good on paper. I have enjoyed watching Waikoloa grow and
change over the years. But I can't help but think back to that fire and evacuation in 2021 and what could
have happened to all the residents already in gridlock traffic trying to escape. Imagining the impact of
adding more cars to that same road is frightening. Can any of you say with 100% certainty that both new
and current residents would not be put in more danger with this new addition?
I ask you to withhold approval until the County has funded and scheduled commitments for the
infrastructure that keeps residents safe during a wildfire, starting with a second access road. Please
review the reality of Waikoloa.
The state Attorney General's Lāhainā investigation rated Waikoloa’s wildfire risk higher than any other
place in the country. Adding hundreds of homes before a second road exists puts current and future
residents in danger.
Please do not approve Bills 186 and 187 until critical infrastructure for our community has real
commitments, funding, and a timeline, not just plans. Housing and safe infrastructure should move
forward together.
Mahalo Nui,
Doreen Raymond
Waikoloa Village Resident
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