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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0663.019 2002-2004 JUL-22-2004 01:05 PM 8089659254 P. 01 P 1 . ~ ~ MAI.AMA O PUNA a~ P. O. Box 1520 Pahoa, Hawai 'i 96778 ($08) 965.9254 Preserving Hawel'I't precious natural heritage • N -o ;v July 22, 2004 - To: Chairtttan Arakaki and members of the I3awai'i County Council RE~_ RESOLUTION N0.203-04 Gentlemen: On July 9th I testified in support of this resolution when it was on your committee agenda. ;There were statements made and questions asked by both councilmen and others that I feel were not adequately addressed. Since the council should have as much accurate information as possible (on ANY issue) so that it can make the bcst possible decisions, I am raising those poims below: 1. One councilman remarked that it was not the County's responsibility/kuleana to help local businesses. I beg to differ. For one thing, the County has a departmertt of Research and Development whose kuleana this is. Traditionally, the Planning Department and Commission have bent over backwards approving variances to beneftt local businesses and outside businesses moving to our Cou++f~ When Hamakua Sugar went belly up, both State and County looked at all sorts of ways [o help the community keep from becoming economicaily~evastated_ Bui earlier, when Puna Sugar went down, there was no help at all. Pahoa never totally recovered from that bankruptcy and subsequent lack of assistance (i.e., neglect). I just returned from a national Weed & Seed conference in Indianapolis. I was plea~amly surprised to see what a beautiful, clean, green, prosperous and exciting city it is. I picked up a copy of the Indianapolis Regional Magazine, which promotes `°I'he Indy Partnership,,, a collaborative effort between government, business and the community. The following paraphrase highlights the philosophy: '~'he spirit of collaboration is what sets Indianapolis apart from other regions attempting similar approaches to economic development. As the city has cominued to evolve and grow, and as changing times required new strategies, The Indy Partnership has leveraged this legacy of collaboration -and found it to be as potent as .r.u,oa o n.,e«~o« cae••. ortn DennlP wnrlr fnaWhpr recommD3no thsf fhdrntan Comm. No. Ref. Toe t'te~efd Ref. Uare,.llll 2 3 2004 :t. uroc. o n„oNx rtamt~xni 9nn DnneiP..urnrtr tnanfhor rlr~ri3na f6~f fh~.ir olVn .enterprise bweflt when the general business landscape improves. The rising tide doe; indeed lift all boats. "In addition, all levels of government have pitched in to crea4e a business-fiiendly environment....The region has made a point of developing and promoting its cultural amenities and quality of life factors~tsuch as parks devve~lopment and tree lined streets]. Success breeds success. I urge the council merdbers to investigate the strategies of Indianapolis and implement some ofthem here. Supporting the Palma business community and its attempt to turn around an aoo>#omically depressed area into an asset, and supporting the quality of life which a renovated Akebono Theater will enhance, is the kuleana of Hawai 'i Cnumv 2. Mrs. Hale, when asked by Mr. Safarik why she had changed her mind about condemnation of the property between the time she was on the Board of Directgrs of Mainstreet Pahoa Assn. and the present, thiled to make the following disclosure: that she is curremty negotiating with Ms. Maileck for the latter to build a school gymnasium on the 19 acres which Malleck owns mauka of the parcel in questioa If there is not a conflict of interest, there is certainly the appearance of one, and I hope that you will take this into consideration. 3. Mr. Rosdil, in his testimony, stated that Ms. Malleck had already received an offer on the parcel for over one million dollars, but had rejected h for unspecified reasons. what he didn't tell you was that the offer, which was made by Pete I.eBold and Paul Billings, weer for both parcels: the 3.8 nod the 19 acres. This statement was carefully crafted %n order to mislead you into believing that the value of the properly, if based on vWWhat a buyer is willing to pay, is $ 1.5 million. 4. If someone other than the County should buy this property at Ms. Malleck's ssking prig, it would not make good business sense to leave it as a parking tot - even a paid parking lot. A good portion of it would be developed, and the community would lose not only the parking but a venue for all the other activities which the property now hosts (or which the community has planned for it to host for over thirteen years), It is quite possible that what parking was Left would be restricted by the new owner to patrons of its own busirres(es), i.e., validated parking. Therefore the Akebono Theater and all the merchants on the old side of town, which have virtually no parking of their own, would be "locked out". 5. Salvador I,uquin pays over $17,000 per year for rent and insurance on the parking lot. One councilman asked why he does not ask the other merchsms, who also rely on the lot, to chip in. The answer is that the tenors of the lease between Mr, Luquin and Ms. Malleck specifically forbid that. It is my personal belief that Ms. Malleck really wanted to "put the screws" to Mr. Luquin because she knew how desperate! his business needed the lot, and because she could. She had already rejected his offers to purchase it. 6. Mr, I.uquin's lease with Ms. Malleck will be up in October, 2004. He has said that he cannoLt- `aff-o-rd to renew it. The community is aflaid that Ms. Malleck will lock up both F~~ so that no one can access it. She has done this in the past, and has held JUL-22-2004 01:07 PM 8089639254 p, 02 i thrt bueiaess oommumty hostagdover a barrel. Since the timing will be at the bc~inaing of the shopping season for Christnuts, lose of panting could devastate Ptilwa's businesees (especially those in the old part of town along the boardwallt) sad force some of them to dose their doors. The economic raati9oadons would be widespread. These arc not big businesses, but they ail have employees. 7. The question also arose,'tivhy should we pay for a parking lot?". One answer, of course, is that it is desperately needed as a parking tot. '!'hers are, however, other reasons. The old historic railroad turnaround on the property would not only be protected (Ms. Matlack was about to destroy $ but the communhy called in DLNR's Historic Preservation lliviaion) but would be the focus of a local history museum, which would be educational and help to foster local pride. The Akebono Theater would be able to become a lull eemer for the performing arts, providing daytime space for classes and warkshop~ as well as cultural everks in the evening. People would Dome to Paltoa for dinner and the theater. This cannot hspprn without adequate parking. There are many evema which help to draw our community together which take place oa the property' the Farmers' Market, the Pahoa Springtime 7amm, the Oat High On Life resource Stir, the smnral Akobono birthday party, etc. The focal community comer is not Lrge enough (nor does it have sultlcicnt parkinpJ to aooommodate those events. 8. The importance of the police kiosk was questioned in committee: The Police Dept. may soon be building s new substation just outside of town on the bypass. The new Fire Station would be on the same parcel. This would enable these two depertmems to bettor coordinate efforts; more impottantly, it would provide easia~ egress sad faster response times However, it will leave the village itself without a police presrna, which is desperately [[coded in the center of town where most of the people, especially youth, congregate. The kiosk will Rll thin seed. 9, Mr. Reedit told you that there are other parcels in town which could be acquired for additional perking. Sven if our need ibr the Alcebono parking lot was for parking Qpjy, this would still not be accurate. Several years ago, st a mewing between Mayor Kim and our town leaders, several committees were formed and Chairs named to look imo solutioae for our many problems. i wsa named to chair the Transportation Committer, which included the parking issue. My committee contacted the owners or realtore of every available emtm+ parcel on or adiaoartt to ahoy Vitlaca Road We found that, with the minimum asking price of S60,000 which would hold about 10 ears, it was neither Possible nor economical, nor would it 911 the parking needs of our orbs. And I remind you titer the population of Puna is growing not geometrically, but eapoaentit<Ily. Therefore,114r. Roadil's contention wsa not acewete and I urge you to disooum it: 10. Part of the corttmurdty's plan for economic developmem and revitalization involves promoting "historic" Pahoa. The Akebono Theater is the oldest operating theater in the erttiro state (1939); the railroad t~unaround dates 9'om the 9rst few yearn of the last caltury end la planned as the basis of a small local history museum; the buildings JUL-22-2004 01:07 PM 8089659254 P. 03 1r~ `5tptown" Pshoa, with their wooden boardq~alic and okl style architecture, are all htaoria County purchase of the Akebono puking lot wilt proeertro the turttarowld and provide a logical, adjacent site fur the tnueettm. Mr. Luquin may be forced to t4tr down the theater if he loses parking for his restaurant. Other progeny owners, fgead with lowered values if there is no puking available, may also be forced to demolish their buildings, We cannot promote a Histoic Pahoa if there is no history leR to promote. County acquisition is theretbre vital to the endro revitalization plan. l 1. In the early part of his teratre as Mayor, Harry Kim opened negotiations with Ms. Mapeck for the purchase of the parking lot. It is my understandir~ that she did not oven give him the courtesy of a rosponse, yet she continued to "develop" (I hesitate to use the term "improve" because not all the work she did made it bettar) the property so that she could uhimately drive up the asking pride. This she has now done. Now I don't know whether this is legal or not, but it seems t0 me that it is not ethical, nor would I cell it "bargaining in good faith". Contrary to Mr. Rosdil's assertions that she "took a ahana° with her investment, Ms. Malleck knew ail along of the County's interest end has done everything in her powar to exploit that interest. Her asking price today is puro extortion, and that is why the condemnation process is necessary: to lot a judge make the decision. Please allow that process to move forward. This testimony is long enough without my enumerating other re~asom why Malama O Puna urges this Council to pass the resolution to emer into condemnation proceedings. Pteasq pass Resolution No. 203_Qq and support the needs of the Puna Ihatict. Mahalo. Ilene iracuaa Pr~id'bnt i