HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0208.029 2004-2006 18 Apri12005
Aloha Honorable Harry Kim and Members of the County Council for the Island of Hawaii,
I understand that there are a few bills being considered this week that relate to land use, relating
to subdivisions and open space, public access and natural resources.
Just a moment ago, I emerged from the Geography of Hawai' i class that I teach at Hawai' i
Community College, and, coincidentally, we were discussing some of these very issues today.
From our class discussion, it is definitely my impression that this group of about twenty-five
relatively young folks (my students) were collectively concerned about land use decisions that
are being made in the Hawaiian Islands, in general; the students actually advocated some degree
of land reform. They seemed apprehensive about the `suburbanization' of Hawaii and the often-
associated spreading of subdivisions, and expressed the need to preserve threatened natural
landscapes, (as well as ensure that Native Hawaiians are linked with lands that are suitable and in
proper supply -which the students found is presently not the case). They also suggested that
making land affordable and accessible to local residents should become more of a priority for
those authorities and representatives who have some control over land use in Hawai i.
My own opinion -one that I've come to through my sort of `geographic' lens, as well as
personal perspective - is that it is vital that `open spaces' and natural resources be preserved to
the maximum extent. And I am very happy to hear that there is a proposal to use 2% of property
taxes towards that end. I support such a measure wholeheartedly, and would be amenable to an
even higher percentage.
In addition, I am alarmed about the trend that has allowed some agricultural lands to become
open to speculation for subdivision, as in the case of Hokuli'a in Kona Hema. I hope that the
council passes a bill that would effectively prevent this sort of scenario from taking place. If
rezoning of such lands is found to be necessary, then it must do so in public view, with full
community input, in a procedure that reflects honesty and open-ness. Once again, judging from
my students' comments in the recent past, there is much disapproval and outright anger over the
way over the Hokuli'a fiasco. I am not alone in feeling that this misuse of land represented a
travesty of cultural, environmental and even socio-economic justice.
Please consider my comments when you cast votes on these very important bills; they-iya11 h ~ a
critical impact on the future of this island. ~ -
Mahalo,
Drew Kapp
dkapp~u)hawaii.cdu
PO Box 1192
Volcano, Hawaii 96785
(808) 938-3328
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