HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0400.009 2002-2004
December 1, 2003,12;59 pm
~E_l.
'03 DEC 1 Pf9 104
,1a~ice Palma-Gle~~~e _
~Ort{~e Siam C~u~, Moku Loa Group couNT ";,,°v~,u
P.O. ~9
Kaf~ua-Kota, HaWai i 96~~
r~#~a-3t~-oo93
T0. Leningrad Elarinoff, Chairman, and Planning Committee members
Hawai' i County Planning Committee
Re; RezoninglSMA of 0' oma 2nd, TMR; 7-3-9:22
November 26, 2003
Aloha, Mr. Elarinoff Council members;
It has come to our attention that the owner of the above property
is asking to upzone as well as receive a Special Management Area
Permit for his O,oma 2nd property.
Zoning b~default not purpose, of To"In
Ref. Uote
Though the property is now classified by the county as
' GI1111IIIJ I1V IIWI III I I. Illll. Illlf I1(1tiF~.
Though the property is now classified by the county as
"Industrial," it is only by default that this designation
exists, That is, as you know, due to a land swap 12 years
ago, This parcel was part of the NELHA facility next door
where an Industrial zoning was meant to allow for the
aquaculture facilities planned for that property, This zoning
does not reflect any past or future intentions of the county
or the owner of the property for what would be developed at
0' oma 2nd,
Except by a TNR separation, which occurred due to the land
swap, 0, oma 2nd is part of the larger and rightly zoned
Conservation land on its makai side. Though we feel that this
land belongs in other than industrial use (unless it is
aquaculture~, we feel that Project District zoning, as
delineated by the plan presented before you, is an
inappropriate change at an inappropriate time,
The current rezoning/SMA request is a classic example of
developer-driven pla nina the kind that is reducing the
quality of life for West Hawaii residents and the positive
December 1, 20(?3,12:59 pm
experiences of visitors to our island, Unbearable and
sometimes gridlock traffic not just miserable, but also
dangerous is just a part of the degradation experienced by
the residents and visitors of Railua-Rona due to improper,
developer-driven planning,
~liftnr tha nwnar and cellar of this nrnnarfv is aalrinn fnr
Vii1 VVM, V3~1r V~1~~1ri MiJM 1/1..11 Vi Vi V~l1Y ~i V~1.~1 V~, iL MYJ~1iJM LVi
this zone change for speculation purposes only. ¦
The plan presented will never materialize, nor should it. It
behooves all of us including land speculators - - to take
more than a cursory look at such a nebulous plan before
allowing for hundreds of residences, hotel rooms and
commercial venues to be built, especially on irreplaceable,
finite coastal landr
Environmental/recreational/cultural considerations,
Besides the cart leading the horse planning-wise, a host of
environmental, social and cultural concerns loom, Viewplanes,
noise, open space, public access and runoff are just a few of
the burdens which a plan of this density and magnitude,
mr~innl~rlcr in chic ~rn~ rnen }n nnr nnnn~cr ~nr1 nnmmnni~v
the burdens which a plan of this density and magnitude,
particuiariy in this area, pose to our county and community.
A critically important mauka-makai jeep road to the shoreline
runs through this property, along with a section of the
Mamalahoa Trail,
Critical public open space deserves critical cor~munity input,
As you know, the Mayor, along with several community leaders,
has been working long and hard to secure a public park at
adjacent Rohanaiki, This entire area Raloko-Honokohau,
Rohanaiki, O'oma has been the focus of decades of
community activism, protection, and aloha which has been
meant to secure this land and its mostly passive use, as
well as its environmental and cultural integrity, for the
public and future generations, This area comprises most of
what is left of undeveloped and unplanned coastal land in
Woc+ Aaurai~i T+ hoc Noon ncor~ rnn+imially and with
IIYU{r L1U11lAl it 11i 11UN NLl.ll l{N VU VVil tr111Ullllt lAll~{ 111 tr11
greater frequency as public resources dimiii nish for
recreation, subsistence, and cultural rejuvenation for
generations, Until threatened with leq_al action, Cliff
MorrislCliftos resisted any attempts to be a part of a
December 1, 2003,12:59 pm
decades-long community effort to keep this area safe and
clean) Instead, Mr, Morris' lack of cooperation led to an
unhealthy situation festering on his property both at the
shoreline and near the highway where he hopes to build an
airport hotel,
We ask that you deny this rezoning request in committee, and that
you see Cliftos' request done specifically and solely for
speculation purposes as one with no urgency, merit, nor public
benefit; a plan which, in fact, puts undo stress on public
resources, As you can see, this parcel is a part of a much larger
and rritiral nnncaryatinP,_?nned parcel of rnagtal land whnge
µ11M VLiViVµi ~V{aV Vi
rli ni e i nne ovi cc+ nn v nn n r ~ T11fhnse develo mer+ n~h~nl rl h~
UlY 1J1V11J Cl11Jl. Vlll, Vll ~a~/el t~t YI11V p ll. 11 LLlU
purposeful and cohesive, not just within itself, but within the
entire RalokolHonokohaulRohanaikil0'omaINELHA area.
If, however, you vote in favor of this zoninglSMA request, then we
ask that you hold a public meeting in Kona to allow proper
testimony on this important matter,
LG~7L1111V1ir Ull LlilA LII~lUl6Qll6 1I1Q1,LCl1
n,.u 1., 1 C t 1..,..., l...a tl.., ' 1,.,.,. L.. 1. 'tl,
fVt ))early 1J years, 1 11dYe 11dU Llle prlVlleye LU wUrJL Wll.ll ltly
community in a broad and largely successful effort to malama this
land) The community stakes in the future of this land one of
the last vestiges of unencumbered, publicly controlled open space
are very great/ We ask that you deny the rezoning before you
i!~ L i_'__ L_iL L'ii_'__ 7__ ' i_ 1 i
until such Lune as a ~eLLer, more riLLinq plan is presenLea, aL a
time when this community has been able to catch its breath and
cttch up with its huge infrastructural lag one which is growing
daily)
I look forward to hearing your views on this matter at your
earliest opportunity and appreciate your time and attention in a
enhion+ rlrhinh is of hnno nnnnorn +n nnr nnmmnni+~r
J l1UJGVl. AlliVll 10 Vl 11LLyG VViIVGlll VV VLLl VV1lLLllLL1111.~ 1
Sincerely,
~uce~a~Ca- for the Moku Zoa Group, Sierra Club
~Cliftos has, so far, been unable to muster sufficient Planning
Commission support for his SMA permitting even after two separate
votes by the commission) Cliftos is seeking yet another and