HomeMy WebLinkAboutJohn R.
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Steve Walicki <wallyworld1212@yahoo.com>
Sent:Monday, October 19, 2026 7:44 PM
To:Onishi, Dennis; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Council Testimony; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kimball,
Heather
Subject:Re: Bill 147 — Protect Local Businesses in Downtown Hilo's Commercial District
Aloha Council Members,
I am a property owner and short-term vacation rental operator in Downtown Hilo's Commercial District
(CDH).
My request is simple: Please allow us to conduct commercial lodging activities on property specifically
zoned for commercial use.
We purchased commercial property, not a home in a single-family residential neighborhood. CDH zoning
accommodates hotels, restaurants, bars, lodging, and other commercial activities.
Our property consists of three separate accommodations totaling seven bedrooms: two two-bedroom
units and one three-bedroom unit. We have provided off-street parking, invested in maintaining our
property, and supported our community.
Yet we now face proposed restrictions that could prevent us from renting these accommodations
independently simply because they share one tax map key.
How does that make sense in a commercial district?
But this is about much more than vacation rental owners.
Our business employs local cleaners, landscapers, plumbers, electricians, and maintenance workers.
We purchase locally produced coffee, honey, cookies, and other products for our guests.
Our guests spend money at Hilo's restaurants, shops, cafés, and local attractions. That spending
supports bartenders, servers, dishwashers, small-business owners, and young people entering the
workforce.
When you restrict small vacation rentals, you don't just hurt property owners. You risk taking money out
of the pockets of working families throughout our community.
And that raises a serious question:
Who actually benefits from these restrictions?
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If visitors are pushed toward large corporate hotels instead of locally operated accommodations, more
lodging revenue may flow to corporations outside our island rather than circulating among our
neighborhood businesses.
I sincerely hope every Council member feels safe and free to make decisions without pressure or
intimidation from powerful industry interests, including the hotel industry.
I would genuinely like to understand who is requesting these restrictions, what evidence supports them,
and whether the economic consequences for our local workers and businesses have been fully
considered.
We understand the importance of protecting residential neighborhoods and affordable housing. But
Downtown Hilo is a commercial district. Hotels and other lodging businesses are permitted here.
Why should a small, locally operated lodging business be restricted from using existing
accommodations in an area specifically zoned for commercial activity?
We respectfully request that Bill 147 clearly allow separate, lawful vacation rental units in CDH to
operate independently, without combining all bedrooms on a single TMK into one arbitrary limit.
We have invested in our property, created local jobs, provided parking, and contributed to Downtown
Hilo's economy.
If Downtown Hilo is zoned commercial, please allow it to function as commercial.
Mahalo for your consideration.
Respectfully,
John R.
Downtown Hilo, Hawai ʻ i
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