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November 19, 1997 <br /> RECEIVED <br /> nn,a~_ <br /> John Santangelo, Chairman p,,~ y <br /> Hawaii County Housing Agency "'"~'~--~-L` i~~'""""'" <br /> Re: Bill for an Ordinance to Amend the Hawaii County Code Relating to <br /> an Affordable Housina Policy for the County of Hawaii <br /> Honorable Chairman Santangelo and Members of the Committee: <br /> I am Fred Galdones, Division Director for the ILWU, representing more <br /> than 6,000 active and inactive members who are also members of the <br /> community at-large. The majority of our membership are in the tourism <br /> industry and employed in the South Kohala and Kona districts. <br /> I would like to express my appreciation to the Chair for providing me <br /> with a copy of the housing needs study yesterday at 4:30 p.m. With <br /> all the available time and effort that I was able to muster, <br /> unfortunately, I was not successful in reading the entire material nor <br /> to make an analysis of the needs for affordable housing. Therefore, I <br /> am proposing that this matter be tabled again to allow sufficient time <br /> for me and anyone in the general public to receive a copy of the study <br /> for their review. <br /> We have members residing in areas from Mountain View through Waimea <br /> and Kohala who travel to work at the hotels in the South Kohala <br /> district. There are two hundred sixty-five (265) boarding the County <br /> bus from Hilo, thirty (30) from Honokaa and fifty-five (55) from <br /> Kohala on a daily basis. Would they be willing to buy a home closer <br /> to their workplace if they were given an opportunity to purchase an <br /> affordable house and lot? Were they included in the survey? Will the <br /> housing needs be met if a prison is built in Ka'u? These are some of <br /> the concerns that we have. We are not against changing the present <br /> formula but we do not know what the new formula should look like <br /> without more time to review the study. <br /> In relation to Section 11-8, Effect on Existing Requirements, we <br /> object to the proposal to re-assess prior affordable housing <br /> requirement that were part of the conditions for permitting approval. <br /> The affordable housing requirement was part of the global approval and <br /> it should remain in effect. Amending the requirement at this time <br /> would dismantle the total application and have an impact on other <br /> conditions that were part of the application. <br /> The provision for developable land should spell out that this land <br /> will be set aside for affordable housing units. <br /> Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to have our concerns heard <br /> and hope that you will give our request your full consideration. <br /> ,k_ 5 97. o ~ <br /> P1ia x.._.~~ WsG <br /> <br /> P` Fief. 20~ Prosx~fed CauNc.,c.. <br /> 3 <br /> 1tef. IMtz~ <br /> <br />