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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0059.003 2000-2002 Rn Kahakalan P.O. Box 1764 ~ti Honoka' a, Hawai' i 96727 phone/fax: (808) 775-0867 ' tEGE1VED e-mail: kkahakal~makani.kl2.hi.ns .By..__., l1aN x 3/0/ Kukuilreple,l/23/01 RE: 5irong Oppositioato Bill No 16 Aloha my name is Dr K~ Kahakalau and I am principsi of Kanu o ka'Awa Public Charter School - sad a resident of Kukuilreele My husband Nalei, lead teacher at Kean o ka 'Arun Public Charter Schools, my two daughters 'I' immaikelani (7) end Polaaimakamae (5) both raced since both in Knkdhaele sod I 1~~ hemently obiect to the chance in zoning as proposed in Bill. No 16 We are lorned by our landlord Mr. Abraham Kanekoa, who was born and raised is Waipi' o V alley end whose family ere long-time residents of W sips' o V alley atd Kulnxhaele As recognized nerve Hawaiian leaders sad as permanent residents of Kukuihaele we vrnce our strongest opposition to the granting of a change in zoning that would result in devastating changes to our'(meaaing all r~stdents of Kukuihaele) community As some of you may know, Kukuihaele, along with Miloli'i, is one of the last remarning Hawarisa vllhtges in the entire archipelago Most of the Hawaiian and local familres have lived there for many generations, and all are rehued somehow. Dating back to over a thousand years ago, before the time of Lonopuha, Kukuihaele has continuously existed as a Hawaiian kauhele or community, sotviving through the 18th century when many Hawaiian village populatroa~ were completely ~ifrped out due to diseases in Rnkuihaele, Hawaiians and local people still know each other perynnflfy, waving at each other oa the road and aloha is a w~y'of life. Approvio6 a resat is Kukvihae3e waald wipe out this sense of community, while increased trysffic and crime would make this villtrgle a mach less saf er place to live There can absolutely be no doubt that a 31 acre resat, that would make up nearly a thud of the entire village, would completely cad pamaaently devastate the lifestyle of our communiry Futtherlndre, itnopert}+values nn the ere area would sky~nt~,k~ tad increase land taxes sig~ces~[ly ThiswoaldfbrcdKukaihaeleremde~s,especiallythemaayelderlyliviigonfixed income, to sell drtitproperire4 aaE leave their family lands. An increase in land tax would also advisite4y~fdilxrems i>} Ktdttdhaele, which are presently still relativety reasonabh:. Abausewea years ~b • ailhw hdhses where built by newcomers near the Waipi' o Lookout. This caused, land taxes- edid strbaequL4tdy r'enL4 - to go up so signdiuatly, that long-time Kuknib~tele efsidents wc+^u forced to move to Las Vegas Incidentally, the only way that workers az the resort world have places to live in the area, would be rf the old time residents of Kuknihaele sad the near vicinity, like Kona Camp etc , would be forced to leave Another major concern is the avsrlabilrty of water Due to several years of relatively dry weather, the Knkwhaelewell - already one of the most polluted wells on the Ham~kaa Coast - is presently so low tfirt processed surface water from the Hamttkua Ditch is added co meet the present demand. Until the water situation has been adeclnately addressed no large-scale projects should be 59 3 Comm. r,oi~..r ' - ~le No. Ref. Tot Bef. Da+ ;;CAI 9 ~ ~nm approved. Furthernrare, adding the manyherbrrtdes cad pesttades that are requrred far a resort of any kind W thelp°°~ warm would certainty nor rmprove the ntuatioa In the past, the County has made vatioo7 pEomises to the Kaktihaele camauntty, such as fixing the mgd, rnstallirtg fire hydnoq and hankmg up the houses at the Waipi' o Lookout - me of which we live in - that are still receiving their water from the Htmakua Ditch, to ceaaty water So far we ate still waitigg. Until the County has ftilfrlled obligations to laag~ime tiawai' i reSidems and tax payers, no new protects should be approved. Most coacemtng for us u native Hawaiians, cultural praartioners and rndigenons educators is the bletcnt disraterest,disconcert and disrespect of the developers is regards to the native culau and tradrtiaos d this lead in general and the histoacal aadiriam of Rakuihaele sad nearby Wupd'o is particular. Concrete treehouses -have ebsolutdy nothing to do with Hawaiian ar locwl culture, with Kukuihaele, Waipi' o ar with any other aspext of Hawaii. All they do rs fulfill a haole fantasy of being elevated, d being above the land, the actives, the locals cad our way of life. And in a small town fike Knkuihaele,they become manrfestatrons of domrnioa cad supexrariry, since there is no othex logical reason -such as being a flood plain a wild animals - whythe houses shaald be elevated .4s Hawaiians t>~ loosi, people we 4o not favor surgge people wmiiig into 6or tiny oommtiairyto exarpe into a imnetnstem faotasyland, while otr reality is leopadized. We don't want a mini Disney Land. Kukoihaele is a histaiccl village, Hearted next to sacred Waipi' o Valley, famom in legends cad somas, home to maw geaeYwtiarrs of Hawaiians This village cad iv spirit will be forever destroyed, if this traatt is approved For too tang Hawa&an cultm+e has bees used and prosoittrted to make foreigners rids. Thu resort lia¢ no plans to fit in, to connect to the cultural and historical tradieims d this very speaal place, to contribute to the lead cad the people is s true sense cad be part d a gradual ooamolle>4 growth that will empower all stake holders. These developers love only one mission - to make money by using oar load, our culture, our history and our way of life Moray of you know, that when Parcel 1 was originally rezoned to resort, it was only because at thrt tlmetbere was muth panic on the fitimttkaa Coast becaiate of the dasirtg al' Httmakoa Hirgr ind ~saapporten werb promi>te4 joti~; which es we aU know never mateavlized. Seven yeah lli~eir, le is Kriitbi3aele>siavegape onwith theirlivea. We have fomd other jobs or have eslablisMed M~' own bnsineaaes. There is ao longer a need far jogs hare. Knkuillcele is perfect as it is - of course we would appreciate the fire hydrants cad gexting booked up w cannty water - but we donut want cad we do not nexd a resorts Far o~ner a oe~tttly gova'nme~ ha! been on the side of large Lipdoaraas cad of otaside iaveston who come w siwd'i to gatl;Wy mate sotge money irtd thtq iavmt elsewhere. As we are entexi~ f nor miylenmum,nadtkslew i~Orecd ~titeally imd enet~gam~ahy seusigive lesderslrlP, I4~er~'hbpe<thts we bagia W fbcui m lops term phimin~ ~e4'~ ~P r'°""-"--"'•• apptwehesotltlevellopdtestt,so~ts~i?l~saprideotltsglvesiareapomuble$ov~a~yepea~t,gova~ameot forthelong-uerm beadu od}ytepebpie of this isliiid and the perpetuation of the aperid way of life the str~l definet'Hawai"i. Sincerely, , Ku RahalEalau ~ 'ahaaa ~ P~. ~g~g