HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0019.018 2002-2004 January 8, 2003
To: The Hawaii County Council
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RE: Thomas application for rezoning in Volcano Village nR~e , eY----_-_-~~__,_;~,
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County Coundl
Thank you for the opportunity to present my views on the Thomas
application for rezoning in Volcano Village.
Volcano is a community of residences and some small businesses,
including many vacation home rentals and bed and breakfast establishments.
For many of us residents as well as visitors, Volcano is a quiet community
where people come to get away from crowded cities, noise and traffic. I own
my home in Mauna Loa Estates and I own a vacation rental in Volcano
Village. Many of my guests at the rental are from other Hawaii locations that
visit Volcano for one primary reason to escape to a quiet, uncrowded place.
There is no doubt that the Volcano community will grow. But, what
will that growth look like? Is there a way to grow so that Volcano doesn't
become just like everywhere else and lose what most of us came here for in
the first place?
Good planning makes good sense. But, allowing light industry like a
lumberyard with its associated heavy truck traffic, lift trucks, and noise to
begin to develop in the center of Volcano Village simply does not make good
sense.
I am a woodworker. I've built a small home in the Volcano area and
am now completing a large addition on my home, and I didn't need a
lumberyard in Volcano to accomplish this. The accessibility of lumber in
Hilo works just fine for me. However, some people think it's important to
have a lumberyard more convenient. Regardless of how much a lumberyard
may be perceived to be needed or not needed, this sort of operation clearly
does not belong in the center of the village I think granting this zoning
Comm. No. •
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To:
Ref. Date ' dp,~...n R ~~03
variance for a lumberyard in the center of Volcano's current and future visitor
oriented businesses is ill-conceived and not community planning at all.
Most of us have seen what poor or no planning can do as communities
grow. If Volcano is to begin to need this type of light industry support now or
in the future, then we'll have to accept it. But, industrial development in the
center of the community is simply not acceptable. Abetter solution is to seek
rezoning of a parcel of land on Highway 11, away from current residences
and visitor oriented businesses, and place all light industrial development
there, something akin to Shipman Business Park outside of Hilo.
This proposed lumberyard and any other future similar light industrial
businesses must be placed in a well defined area outside of the village's
current residential and small business area. This type of development within
the current residential and small business area is unacceptable.
Sincerely,
William G. Gilmartin
P.O. Box 540, 11-3888 Sixth St.
Volcano, HI 96785
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