HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0019.009 2002-2004 Mary Goodrich
Post Office Box 412, Volcano, Hawaii 96785-0412
Bobbie-Jean Leithead-Todd
Chair, Hawaii County Council Planning Committee
Fax 961-8912
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Re: Bi114, Application of Mr. Maurice Thomas for Change of Zone, Volcano
Aloha Ms. Leithead-Todd and Planning Committee members, P_vc
I am writing to you today to ask you to deny Mr. Thomas' application. Volcano has developed
into a thriving ern-tourism center, which depends on the continued quiet and beauty of
Volcano's forested setting, next to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the number one
visitor attraction in the State of Hawaii. The historic home I purchased in Volcano Village in
1980, in which I lived for a number of years, is operating as a vacation cottage now, one of many which
provide a livelihood for many residents and homeowners in the Volcano area.
It is not too much to ask that we not kill the goose which is laying golden eggs for us. Rather
than allowing this rezoning, which would benefit one family (Maurice Thomas has said that
he is not planning to add any jobs after construction is complete but would rather use his current
employees to run both the existing hardware store and the lumber warehouse and equipment rental
business hence, no additional jobs will be added to benefit the community), you can help
maintain the quiet, forested atmosphere, which is part of the charm of Volcano Village,
by denying this application. Volcano's visitor "industry" is the only kind of "industrial"
economy we should encuurage in this special area.
If Volcano residents want more services, we can certainly encourage small, unobtrusive
businesses, like a small bank branch, a small pharmacy, a satellite County office, a doctor's office, any
like business or office space which would not have the huge, noisy, unneccessary impact such as Mr.
Thomas' proposed structures would have.
A perfectly accessible lumber warehouse is available in Kea'au, only nineteen miles from the
village. A lumber warehouse is not a place to which one walks to buy supplies and such an enormous
structure is not appropriate in our small, forested village center. If such a structure is not allowed
on Bayfront in Hilo or Ali`i Drive in Kailua-Kona, why would it be allowed in a much
less developed, much more quiet, much more peaceful place like Volcano Village?
Please consider carefully all the arguments which support Mr. Thomas' rezoning application,
which mostly say the same things: "we want convenience" (nineteen miles is convenience enough, if
one plans ahead; convenience can be quite expensive --the lumber will be more expensive up
here, and the loss of so much forested peace and quiet is a high price to pay); "you can't stop
progress" (unplanned progress will produce a Volcano that looks like Waimea; we need a
Special Design District and the time to produce such a document); "elistism/haves vs.
inclusivenessdhave-Hots" (this argument is unfair and inaccurate: the Thomases have enough
money to build a $600,000.00 project, which will drive their Wellness Center/Bf3B neighbor out of
business, yet he is held up as the hero of the have-Hots, while Ms. Porter is threatened with financial
ruin unless she sells her home of many years).
Thank you for your time and kind consideration.
nom' 1 2002
f File No.
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