COM 0438.023 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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February 2151, 2004 Mr. Chris Yuen Planning Director Hawaii County Hilo, HI 96720 RE: Nani Kona Kai TMK 3/7-5-10-66, proposed development off of Kailua View Estates, and Uluwehi Properties, LLC development off of Hualalai Road ~~csivd Dear Chris: - tb-fo By----- t3ate 3- Co~ Goundl Sometimes, you just have to say "NO". This trend to rezone Ag-5 and A-1 properties to ~~p~ _PH a higher density just because they happen to be located in an Urban designated area is absolutely ruining Kona. Years ago I worked on the Kailua to Keahole Plan with the Kona Boazd of Realtors. The Urban designated areas were primarily for azeas north of the Palani/Queen K Junction. What I now see are azeas that aze zoned Ag-5 and Ag-1, that aze currently only appropriate for Ag-5 or Ag-1 use, being cut up into 15,000 sq. ft. lots or less, without the benefit of any additional roads. Creating roads to get to these properties does not lessen the impact of that traffic when it comes back down onto the Queen K highway. We aze in absolute grid lock over here and the insanity needs to stop At least once a week, I see an accident in front of Borders Book Store and Wall Mart, at the Queen K/ Henry St. intersection. Sometimes it's minor, sometimes not. There is just too much traffic that feeds into the Queen Kahumanu Extension and Henry Street intersection for safety. From 3:30 to 6PM, the traffic feeding down Henry Street from the Wall Mart/Borders azea is heavily backed up. If that traffic continues makai (into Kailua-Kona), it enters the grid lock going down Henry Street onto Kuakini Highway (it's a nightmaze story on Kuakini through Kailua-Kona in the afternoon, but I'll save that for another letter); this is further compounded by traffic entering and exiting Lanihau Shopping Center. If that traffic travels south on Queen K, it will virtually come to a stop and go halt all the way from the Borders intersection down to Captain Cook. You should see it pile up at Hagashi Hara Park. For an alternate route, frustrated drivers on the Queen K Extension to Kuakini will often head mauka on Hualalai Road to go south on Mamalahoa. This creates a problem on Hualalai Road, and there is no room for error on that road. If that same traffic decided to go north towazds the airport, it's stop and go until they get past the airport. And of course the real fun begins if that traffic goes east, up Palani Road where good citizens take their life's into danger every time they drive that road. The Queen Kahumanu Extension and Henry St. intersections have become one of Kailua- Kona's major grid lock areas and approving more lots for this area will cause deaths. The afternoon traffic pattern repeats itself in the morning from 7:30 until well past 9AM. Traffic crawls through the Kailua View/Queen K intersection, mixes with the Henry St. and Palani Road traffic, and it becomes a Los Angeles nightmare. Comm, No. ~ ~ •Z3_. Ref. To: prase C~ Ref. Date