HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0189.016 2004-2006
FROM Sherman 8 Elaine Warner FAk N0. 868-885-8082 Apr. 65 2665 07:6; AM Pl
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I'm Yorwarding the following thouglyz$;in support ol'your resolution requiring an EIS for
the Superferry at Kawaihac. "
The most transparently evasive rationale offered for avoiding an EiS is that the minimal
amount of construction by the Superferry, "painting lines on pavement and putting up a
couple of tents," doesn't require an impact statement. They then say that they won't
announce the complete plans for their infrastructure until after they get their approvals.
This is totally backwards. The plans should be announced and THEN it should be
determined whether an EIS is necessary. I am among those who support Che Superferr}'
concept but believe that it should be well planned so that adverse effects az•e mitigated to
maximum possible degree.
Instead of announcing their full plans far enough in advance so that an EIS wouldn't
endanger their funding (if that is indeed true and not just a bluff), Superferry stalled so
that they could make the claim that art E1S would dvom the project. This is a caleulatcd
tactic that should make the licensing authorities suspicious. There seems to be a
consistent pattern of revealing as little information as possible to the public. It's
inconceivable that the operators of a project costing a few hundred million dollars don't
have any plans for Kawaihae that they can reveal to the public.
At a public appearance at Kealakehe High School, Rod Haraga, when questioned about
the Superl'eny's infrastructure needs, said that a large parking area would he needed on
the matrka side of the Kawaihac Road, where security searches and the first steps o1'
passenger processing would take place. Superferry representatives still insist that their
operations will be entirely contained within the existing freight yard at Pier #1. Who is
telling the truth? Probably not the Superferry executives, who at a public meeting at
Waikoloa School said that travel on the Superferry would be more convenient because
the would be no airline type security cheeks.
Both the Department of Transportation and the Superferry seem to he trying tv minimize
the impact of the Superferry by lowballing the load factor that they are planning on. At
the meeting at Kealakehe High School, Rod Haraga said that the State would require
infrastructure for only 23% of the capacity of the ferry, a number that happens to be the
ferry's breakeven point. There is an inconsistency in claiming, on one hand, that the
Superferry is desperately needed. and, on the other, that there's no need to plan for
anything more than ferries operating at a quarter of capacity. It seems that the State is
aiding and abetting the Superferry's of{orts to avoid an honest assessment of the impact
on the local community.
I have made many visits to the Puget Sound area and traveled many of those fartti' routes,
and I am convinced that the ferry operators and the Department of Transportation are
underestimating the impact the ferry will have vn traffic and the local communities. With
their planned one hourturn-around, the ferry has the potential, within an hour and a half
to two hours, to unload 282 cars and load a similar number while offloading 900 ~
Comm. N~ f a~l • tl 10
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FROM Sherman 8 Elaine Warner FRX N9. 898-885-0982 Rpr. 95 2005 97: 92RM P~
passengers who will need transportation and loading 900 passengers who will be dropped
off largely by different t ehicles from those transporting the arriving passengers- .4nd all
of this happens at a harbor served by a two-lane road! 7o say that the Superfem will
have no measurable impact on the sun•ounding comnumity' is nonsense.
Sherman Warner
P 0. Box 1 I RS
Kamuela, HI~9G~43
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