The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0106.059 2004-2006 Pnge 1 of 3 Connie Vohden From: <rscarola@mindspring.com> To: <ckvohdenQhotmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 9:53 AM Subject: Letters to County Council, Mayor Kim, other representatives Hi Connie-- Thank you for the great effort you aze making on behalf of all of us at Kahakai Estates. Here are copies of the two a-mails we sent-- the first in April, the second yesterday. Aloha, Nancy and Robert Scarola E-mail #1: April 22, 2005 1 Dear Hawaii Council Members: I know you must deal with tremendous pressures on a daily basis, and I appreciate the effort you aze making to balance all of the difficult and complex issues you have to decide upon. And I now believe you have reached a critical juncture in your efforts to plan for reasoned growth in West Hawaii. I believe you must at this point factor in to your thinking the following considerations: 1. There are already many subdivision developments that have been approved in West Hawaii and are going forward, and these will add a heavy burden to a currently overburdened infrastructure, especially roads. 2. Allowing additional new developments at this time, without first providing the necessary road infrastructure for what already exists and what has already been approved, will only take us from a nearly critical situation to an emergency situation. 3.). This is especially the case with any development bordering Alii Drive, Kuakini Highway, or the Queen Kaahumanu Highway, such as the development being proposed by Suffolk Investment to put in 350 dwelling units and a shopping center makai of Pualani Estates. Placing a cross traffic intersection on Highway 11 and the Kuakini Highway just before Kailua town to service an additiona1700 -1000 or more cars from that development seems absolutely untenable. Adding commercial businesses in the proposed shopping center will only add more traffic from people who wish to shop there on a daily basis. We are nearly at gridlock already at certain times of day trying to get into and out of town, so another small local shopping center will not help people who need or want to go to Lowes, Costco, Home Depot, downtown Kailua, and the industrial parks. Nor will it deter those people from trying to get on the highway to go to those places. Instead, the additional traffic, stoplights, etc. will be a disaster for people trying to get to the airport or who commute to work in the resorts or in Kailua from South Kona. Comm. No.~ b •59 - Ref. To: Prew'~M ~ Reif. :`ate .IL1N 1 4 9005 6/13/2005 Page 2 of 3 4.) It will not help to have affordable housing that places an untenable burden on an already bazely functional road infrastructure (not to mention water, schools, police, sewage, etc). This is a false promise and helps no one. 5.) Connector roads must have something to connect to that makes sense. There must be a divided four- lane highway at least from Keauhou all the way to the airport before anything else is even proposed in West Hawaii. Such a highway should be the absolute priority of the Council, and a temporary moratorium should be put in place on all other development and roads until such a highway project is accomplished. I believe that the residents of West Hawaii would strongly support you if you made such a highway the major emergency project on your agenda. Think of our current situation as if a lava flow came down from Hualalai and wiped out Highway 11. You would have bulldozers out the next day to re-open the highway, because you would have no choice. Well, I believe there is currently a lava flow of traffic that now requires the same emergency response. Mahalo, Robert Scazola E-mail #2: Sunday, June 12, 2005 Dear Mayor Kim and Hawaii County Council Members, Re: Comm. 106 Bill 29 & 30; Comm. l07 Bill 31 & 32 Committee on Planning Meeting for Tuesday June 14, 2005 We would love to participate in person at the Planning Meeting in Hilo this Tuesday regarding the Puapua'aiki development, but it is just too far to go. Also, video conferencing isn't available for that meeting. So, we hope that as you read this email, you will hear the deep caring in our voices for the future of our island! We know you live here too and that you care deeply enough to have offered your time and energy to run for office and be elected to serve in our government. We know that you are faced with enormous amounts of detailed information and tremendously hard decisions. Mahalo for your commitment. That said, we passionately want you to make some hard decisions on behalf of us all. We have all lived in places where difficult decisions had to be made, where it was necessary to choose to put a moratorium on development for defined periods of time while infrastructure catches up. The Suffolk project off Kuakini Highway has some good features, most importantly affordable housing and generous help to provide land and some funds for a school. But, the Clifto's development has been postponed for now, and this is a similar situation. Too much traffic, too much crowding, not enough organization of the infrastructure yet in critical areas of population. Regarding Puapua'aiki, the time is not yet right. We really don't need more shopping centers in Kona. And when 6/13/2005 Page 3 of 3 the time to develop is right we will need guarantees that the housing built will remain affordable and be offered to local residents, not more folks moving from the mainland. We are writing today to say "Please hold off on this project For a defined period of time." Making safe roads, improving existing schools, and building a solid waste facility are our first priorities before building more developments. 1. Ow highways are the most unsafe in all of the Hawaiian Islands. We need to build safe divided roads at least from the Airport to Kona Hospital, and preferably from Kawaihae (is there really going to be a superferry?! And more military?! More commuters!)) to Captain Cook and eventually to Ocean View. Like every small town in the US, our towns and villages are losing precious lives to accidents, and we are all losing ow aloha because of traffic jams. This new development alone will add 700 to 1000 cars per day to the current log jam that threads it's way through central Kona travelling north and south almost all day. 2. Ow existing schools need our help to repair their facilities and increase access to materials and more teachers. We will need more schools as the island population grows, but if we hold back a bit on development, we can give what we have our attention. Our children aze precious. 'They deserve to spend their days in healthy happy environments with books and materials. This new development isn't going to improve our existing school conditions. 3. The solid waste crisis is a huge concern. It's terrifying to think of Wckloads of gazbage crossing the Island through Waimea. We need to put every effort we have into finding a solution to disposal of solid waste. It is critical that our money and time be spent on designing a facility and system that will handle the growing waste the current population of the island creates. With more visitors and cruise ships adding to ow garbage everyday, let's plan ahead! Another new development proposing housing for approximately 400 families is huge. Have we got ow garbage under control? Safer Roads for our Current Island Population, Waste Disposal for ow Current Island Population, Adequate Schools for our Current island Population! Let's stop and take the time to get it right. There may be other issues, water and utilities. If we don't have a moratorium, development will occur faster than infrastructure can be put in place to meet current demands as well as future. Let's take the time to Catch up to our Current Needs, Plan Ahead for Future Growth, and Keep the Island Clean, Beautiful, and Peaceful. Please vote Noon new development until immediate problems are solved. What can we all do to pitch in and help? With respect and aloha, Nancy and Robert Scarola 6/13/2005