HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0939.003 2004-2006
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF RESOLUTION 383-06
BY DAVID TARNAS,
MARINE AND COASTAL SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
PLANNING CONSULTANT TO JACOBY DEVELOMENT, INC.
JULY 18, 2006
Aloha -
Thank you for this opportunity to testify in support of Resolution 383-06, which is to direct the Planning
Director to study the feasibility of amending the General Plan for the makai lands of Kealakehe to
include Urban Expansion Area, Resort, and Open.
This feasibility study is needed so that due consideration will be given to the plans of the landowners,
DLNR and DHHL, and their partner, Jacoby Development, Inc. for the mixed-use development project
on these lands, which would include retail, commercial, hotel and timeshare, manna support industrial,
as well as an expanded harbor, a major connector road, parks, community and open space.
DLNR and DHHL both went through a formal multi-year process of gathering community input,
publishing Requests for Proposals, and competitively selecting the preferred developer. Both state
agencies chose Jacoby Development, Inc, and agreed that their adjacent parcels of land could be
developed in a master-planned mixed-use project. This process culminated in a master lease with
DHHL in January 2004 and a development agreement with DLNR in November 2005. As per these
agreements, a master development plan, a core infrastructure plan and a draft EIS are due by this
November. Included with my testimony today is a copy of our EISPN for your review.
DHHL and DLNR based their land use plans on the County s General Plan which designated these lands
Urban Expansion Area, Resort, and Open before it was amended last February 2005. DHHL and
DLNR also based their plans on the Keahole to Kailua Development Plan, which designated this area for
an expanded harbor complex, a connector road, a shoreline park, and a new regional urban center for
Kona, relieving the pressures of urbanization on Kailua Village. Both the DHHL lease and the DLNR
development agreement include hotel and timeshare land use as essential components in the mix of land
uses envisioned for this area. Both agreements prohibit permanent residential on these lease lands.
A master planned development that includes retail, commercial, hotel and timeshare, and marina-support
industrial activities will be able to provide the necessary financing of the project s substantial
community infrastructure, including a new harbor, a major connector road from the harbor to Kailua
Village, a major shoreline park, community areas, and other infrastructure. This mix of uses will also
provide a stable employment base close to residential growth areas planned for Kona. While these mix
of land uses may be allowed in an area designated only as Urban Expansion Area, a Resort
designation may be more appropriate. This is why it is important to do this feasibility study.
Using smart growth design principles, this collaborative project of DHHL, DLNR and Jacoby
Development, Inc. intends to create a community-friendly place for residents and visitors alike, that uses
the best in transportation planning, environmentally-sensitive and energy-efficient design. Included
with my testimony are letters sent previously to the Planning Department to support the General Plan
amendment that came from DLNR, DHHL, Rocky Mountain Institute, the national Smart Growth
America organization, Dr. Earl Bakken and others.
Mahalo for your consideration of this request to pass Resolution 383-06 so that planning for this project
can move forward and it can be a part of the solution to the many growth-related challenges being faced
by the Kona community today. q
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