HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0400.089 2002-2004 NOTES FOR COUNTY COUNCIL 5-5-04
BILL 178 CLIFTO'S KONA COAST O'OMA PROJECT
Cory Harden, Box 10265, Hilo 96721 968-8965 mh(f~interoac.net
Please vote no on Bill 178 on rezoning for Clifto's Kona Coast Resort at O'oma.
This vote should not be held in Hilo, but in Kona. People should not have to take a day off work
and drive five hours round trip to be heard.
And the vote should be no. At the January 23 meeting on a stormy night in Kona, 50 people
spoke against the project. Not one person spoke for it. The Council office has a stack of letters
about the project, most against it.
The project does not follow the County Zoning Code.
The Code says a project district may be setup if public necessity and the general welfare require
it. But there's no necessity. There's plenty of vacant commercial-zoned property near the city.
A project district may be set up for continuity in land use. But there's no continuity. The adjoining
land is almost entirely undeveloped open space, used for public recreation, subsistence
activities, aquaculture, a national Park, and residences.
A project district must follow the intent and purpose of the County General Plan. This project
does not because it is high density.
A project district must not cause substantial adverse impact to the surrounding area, community,
or region. This project will.
This is a project larger than Walmart Center in Hilo. Planning Director Chris Yuen calls it a
"major rezoning action" which could "change the urban pattern in the Kailua-Kona area" and
which promotes scattered, rather than compact, development.
Clifto's says the project will ease traffic because people can shop there instead of driving to
Kailua-Kona. But Chris Yuen says it will encourage people to drive out to the area.
Over 18,000 cars already pass the project area each day. Queen Kaahumanu Highway is over
capacity and in immediate need of mitigation, according to the long-range transportation plan for
Hawaii Island. It's not in need of the 1000 more cars a day this project will add.
We may get results we never expected. Clifto's can move components around on the site. And
it's planning to tum around and sell the site. In addition, Clifto's owns a parcel makai of the
project area which it may try to develop next.
The project includes an airportoriented hotel. Chris Yuen called the concept "unproven at best."
Common sense tells us that no one stops in Kona to catch a flight to somewhere else.
Please, vote no on Bill 178.
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