HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0019.026 2002-2004Jan. 8, 2003
Hawaii County Council
County Council Room.
REC:~iVl49 ~"'`
Good morning Council Members,
.County Council
I would like to thank the County Council for allowing me the opportunity to give this testimony
today. My name is Ken Honma, a 50 yeaz resident of Volcano. You have my written testimony
of support for the proposed lumber yazd in Volcano, to the Planning Department, Planning
Commission, and the County Council Planning Committee. I re-iterate to you, my support of
Mr. Thomas' proposed re-zoning in Volcano.
Vision 2020 has not been adopted by the Volcano Community, and, will probably never be
adopted by the community at large. I urge you not to use it as guidance for your decision today.
It has been a thorn in the side of the Volcano community. Its impact has been devastating, on the
once viable Volcano Community Association(VCA) which recently had to decide if it would
remain in existence, and, is, presently deciding how to recover support of the community at
large. In fact, the VCA is presently a dysfunctional organization that has been divisively
manipulated into a single agenda organization. The agenda has been to push Vision 2020 as the
voice of planning for the Volcano community, and, is the only thing that the VCA has seriously
continued to advocate for many years. The small elitist group who control vision 2020, have,
under the auspices of the Volcano Community Association, presented their Vision 2020 as the
plan that represents a majority in Volcano, It Does Not! It has failed to listen to the needs of the
"other "community :some of whom are the old time residents, the regular people with 9-5 johS,
Comm. No. _~
File
xef. vate JAN 0 iS LUU,i
and the average to below average income people, who are generally in favor of having this re-
zoning go through.
By denying this legal, appropriate and needed service in our community, you will send a
message to anyone else that wants to do business in Volcano that they must play the "influence
and insiders" game and first be accepted by the few who control Vision 2020.
Intolerance, and discrimination are characterized by fear and anger, and, in this instance
intolerance and discrimination are hidden behind the soothing metaphoric veil that seeks to
characterize Volcano's small Village Commercial area as "the living room of Volcano".
Through this same intolerance and discrimination, we are to defend the "ambiance" of our living
room against what is legal.
This re-zoning request is legal, both the Hawaii County Planning Dept. and the Hawaii County
Planning Commission have agreed to this. Please vote favorably on this re-zoning, say no to
intolerance and discrimination, say yes to what is legal and appropriate.
Thanks again for allowing me this opportunity to air my views and concerns.
Sincerely,
Kenneth T. Honma