COM 0400.173 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SUPPORT CLIFTO'S REZONING Sept. 15, 2004 Honorable Council Members, My name is Georgeann Johnson, and I am asking you to override the Mayor's veto on Clifto's Bill #178. A brief background on myself. I am the co-founder and currently a consultant for Ride -On Transportation located in central California. We provide a variety of mass transportation service throughout the County utilizing a fleet of 55 busses and vans. We started in 1993 and have grown to a multi-million dollar organization. I have served as operations manager, chief financial officer, and route planner for the Ride -On Transportation operation. I was responsible for the timely and efficient traffic flow for our customers through programs developed by the private and public sector working together. I have lived full time in Waikoloa for the past two years and this is now my home for the duration with my family. I am extremely frustrated that my neighbors and I have to get stuck in the traffic heading into Kailua-Kona every time we must travel for our shopping needs, which is virtually every week. I and we add up to be thousands of people! I for one am fed up with it. So, last Saturday I circulated a petition at the Waikoloa Village Market to confirm if the views of my neighbors were the same as mine. Within a mere four hours 1 had and have nearly 250 signatures supporting Clifto's project as you can see from the attached signature pages. I found that literally over 90% of the people were in favor of the project as it would greatly reduce thier travel time to a nearer shopping destination. Most were very thankful that I was asking them about their opinions rather than listening to the opposition and the biased newspaper articles. Also I had many individuals wanting to get their friends signatures for the support of this project. If I had more time to find out the wishes and needs of us West Hawaii residents, part time residents and tourists, I have no doubt we would find substantially more overwhelming support that would number into the thousands of people. WE ARE DESPERATELY ASKING FOR A CHOICE, to either go into Kailua-Kona, or to avoid that traffic by meeting our needs closer to home. Serving our shopping needs closer to home would absolutely decrease, not increase the traffic problem. The cars that will use this shopping center are already here and on the road and they will increase with or without this project. Waikoloa is poised to increase from approximately 6,000 people to nearly 20,000 people in the next five years or so as the WHT pointed out last week. The growth in the Kohala Resorts and Kailua is similar. There are lots of residential developments that are zoned and ready to go, but not one development providing supporting services for these thousands of newcomers, except Clifto's! New residential housing creates new traffic. We need help now! This traffic Comm. No.3 Ref. Topreseded L' Ref. Date Up 1_ = nni