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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0106.012 2004-2006 FA.OM JCIP ~RX N0. Apr. 12 2085 ~8:~5'_aPl ~'1 FAX to 961-8912 Page 1 3 pages r Testimony opposed to Puaa,1;$Wtfolk Devekopniertt From James Cohn JCIPQhawaii.rr.com 75-5807 Lewa Place 327-0362 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 I am opposed to bills 29,30,31, & 32, as presented in the proposed plan. I have made the comment that the County has a short memory, so I will again remind you. The County has a miserable record when it Comes to zoning and planning. The County has consistently failed to put safeguards in place to insure the projects are carried out completely and in timely fashion. I do not fault the developer. There is no one at the helm- The echo of last year's cry for con currency seems to have faded, or has fallen on deaf ears. What has changed? Do we have more and better roads, with less traffic congestion? Do we have real mauka-makai connector roads? Have we gotten our connectors through the 3o-year old subdivisions north of the Palisades? Has the Lako Street extension been completed? Do we have an Alii Parkway? Are the Queen Ka ahumanu widening and improvements in place? Has the Water department developed new wells, and made improvements to safeguard the areas water supply? Do we have the cart before the horse? What has the County: the Mayor, the Council, and the Planning Department done to determine the priorities for the island and for West Hawaii, and how does the county intend to accomplish them? What does this development offer that benefits our community? Easing traffic Affordable Housing? A connector road? I take issue with the proposal because the arguments in favor are so weak. The assertion that this development will somehow ease traffic Congestion is ridiculous. The State and County are struggling with how to fix the Kainaliu Crawl, which has no stop light. Think of what will happen at this new constrictor, the Pua'a crawl, where a stoplight is planned, along with in-lanes and out-lanes, and with other intersecting driveways on this same stretch of road. Wiil this ease trafFC the way the stoplight at the Police station /Refuse transfer station does, where there are only a few cars entering or leaving at any time, and no residences? What about the proposed commercial center? How does a commercial center the size of the Kona Coast Shopping center, reduce traffic? Remember that the Queen Ka'a humanu Highway is the only through road in West Wawaii, turning it into a commercial strip mall is not in the best interest of the Community. Comm. No._ 0~' ~ Z Ref. To• hae~! L . Ref. Date APR. FROM 7CIP FRX N0. Rpr. 12 2605 88: 3.. Hfl F'~ James Cohn Page 2 The so called 'connector road', which is touted as an infrastructure and traffic improvement, is within a quarter of a mile of the existing connector to Kuakini Highway. The really important connectors' mauke and makai from this location are not in place, do not exist, and there is no provision or timetable as to when they will be built, if ever. Perhaps I should ask you to remember the Lako Street extension? A high-density development, by its very nature, packs more people into less area. Add that group to the overburdened infrastructure in this area, and, remember the already approved and permitted, but as yet, unbuilt projects, and the problem becomes worse. Mr. Yuen's philosophy is that people should live and shop where they work. Perhaps the resorts should be compelled to provide affordable housing? Or, perhaps we should esk where their `in kind or in leiu fees' have gone? Or can't anyone remember? Where is the protection for buyers or renters tha# their housing will continue to be 'affordable'? Unless the land is controlled by the County or State, as in a lease, the properties will be subject to market forces and the costs to owners and renters will rise. What is affordable today may be different in as little as one year! We will all have to live with the impacts much longer. I would ask you to recall a project that was billed as being an 'affordable' opportunity for small farmers in Ka'u. Once it was zoned as such, the applicant, Mr. Hester, changed his mind. I believe he changed it again, but that's how it goes, he may change his mind yet again, remember? Why would anyone who lives in South Kona want to give up their lifestyle, their property, their land, the yard. animals, the place for their boat, and move to a densely configured urban apartment complex, just se they can get a little smaller piece of paradise? Especially when the county is willing to fund their transportation from Ocean Vew to the Resorts with free bus transportation? Simply put, this is another example of un-coordinated spot zoning, and under the present circumstances, it would be a disaster for the people of Kona. It lacks the concurrency and provisions that would make it an asset to the community. The arguments put forth for the development of this project are just that, arguments. 1 ask you io not be so short sighted, and to look beyond this project and to take responsibility for the true needs of this area. FROM SCIP FqX NO. Rpr. 12 2095 OE:32HPI P James Cohn Page 3 You have been patient while I have delivered my objections. I would now like to offer some suggestions. If not the County, who will plan for us? Without a master plan, the developer stops at the boundaries of his property. Why should he do anything more? There is no reward, no penalty. If it is necessary to conform, he will do so, in the same way construction is defined by the Uniform Building Code. He may gripe, but as Tong as everyone must comply, he will do it. That is where you come in: define the requirements, and stick with them until something better comes along. Put everyone on notice that there will be roads, and where they will be. Trains, trams, buses? Lay them out. Let the landowners profit from being a part of the solution. It makes perfect sense to put a small shopping Center at the boarder between two or four parcels. Now, it is in a neighborhood, Mr. Yuen, not on the main highway. Make sidewalks that connect subdivisions and roads. Stop spot zoning. Use your powers to create areas for urban, commercial and residential uses. Then the transportation routes will become obvious. Classify residential housing densities, so that when a piece of land is situated within the boundaries of an area. developed or not, everyone knows what will be done with it. Then, the council will pnly be dealing with significant changes in land use designation, instead of having to act on every parcel, and not knowing what the adjacent parcel will become. Put a sunset Gause in permits, so if nothing happens in timely fashion, the applicant must reapply and comply with current practice. Do these things and everyone will benefit. Developers will know what and where to build the projects they want, landowners will be quick to work within the zoning designated or face tax penalties, and it will support another of Mr Yuen's suggestions, creating in-filling. There are solutions, but only if you make them happen.