HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0560.035 2002-2004 r,
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My name is Samantha Asherah Taylor; I live at 40 South Wiliwili Street in
the Puu Honu sub-division, adjacent to the purposed University Terrace
project. I can't be here today due to a prior commitment; however, I want
my testimony to go on record in opposition of this project
My reasons being, that our community has not been sufficiently notified and
kept abreast of this situation, in fact it appears as just the opposite has taken
place (it has taken seven months to get this community meeting). This makes
me suspicious, so does the big rush to push this re-zoning through before the
newly elected council members take office, I know that we are not being
told the whole truth in this matter. I also feel that the project itself is a
potential future danger and liability to the citizens, business owners and
taxpayers of Hilo.
At the previous council meeting we heard such comments as, "10,000 new
residents will not change our present traffic situation". Please...this will not
only be traffic from the new residential area but also traffic to and from the
proposed commercial business area. This is no more realistic than to blame
the flooding for this proposed area on just the Wiliwili Street run off. Yes
some water may come from Wiliwili area...it is up hill and it is all part of
the Alenaio stream, but the majority of the runoff' comes from Mauka of the
Mohouli Extension via numerous culverts and the Alenaio Stream Bridge as
well as underground through lava tubes that feed the many springs in the
area.
Here is the way many of us see it, allowing businesses and homes in a
floodplain is poor planning and careless to say the least. When a flood
occurs it will have an adverse impact on the maintenance of roads, etc
serving those businesses and homes. These buildings also, inevitably
increase the flood hazards for others up hill and down; by changing the way
the water moves through the system. A floodplain is virtually always better
suited left as is or improved by appropriate planting of more trees or
bamboo, not bulldozing and building parking lots. Tlris doesn't even touch
on removal of wastewater, which is another issue all together. According to
a letter written last February, to the Planning Department, by Scott Andrews,
a member of the Hilo Bay Watershed Advisory Group. The U.H. Forest
service is presently constructing a huge building near the University of
Hawaii at Hilo. They were required to put in a septic system because the
sewer system in that area was inadequate. This is in the same area as the
University Terrace. s'~
Comm. No.~
Ref. To:.py~y~~Q___~~~
Ref. Uate `i.~-! +-u1.~s-
ft is the thought by Mr. Andrew:, that the county must invest millions of
dollars and many years into expanding and improving the inadequate sewer
system that is there, before giving The University Terrace project penuission
to build.
We live in a unique enviromnent: things have prognesse~d relatively slues
here in Hilo. We have the opportunity as a community to help plan carefiilly
how and where we want our lowly town to ~~ow. Do we want to pave it
over like Honolulu, or like "the_y~~~ are ny~ing to do in Kona. or do we want to
keep our greenbelts and wetlands as they are noes,
Many places across the globe are re-building at great expense just such
greenbelt areas into the infiastnicriire of'their cities to re-establish what we
already have in Hilo_ If a zoning change is needed here perhaps the council
should consider changing the coning to conservation in flee interest of public
safety
[ want to end this by asking that the council please vote with yortr
constituents in mind and with integrity-.