HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0939.028 2004-2006
7/31/2006 11:08 AM FROM: Fax TO: 961-8912 PAGE: 001 OF 002
Written Testimony from Barbara E. Scott
75-5782 Lopeka Place
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
(808) 327-1277
County Council Meeting
August 1, 2006
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RESOLUTION 383-06 v
INITIATES INTERIM AMENDMENTS TO THE GENERAL PLAN C-
FOR LANDS ADJOINING HONOKOHAU HARBOR AT KEALAKEW,
DISTRICT OF NORTH KONA COUNTY OF HAWAII _ CZ
STACY K. HIGA, Chmr & Pre.dding Ofcer
VIRGINIA ISBELL, Pce chair
JAMES Y. ARAKAKI
PETE HOFFMANN C
FRED C. HOLSCHUH, M.D.
VIRGINIA ISBELL - c a
DONALDIKEDA
BOB JACOBSON
K. ANGEL PILAGO
GARY SAFARIK
Honorable Chairman Higa, Vice Chair Isbell
and Distinguished Council Members:
In the interest of responsibly developing resources associated with Honokohau Harbor, I am
expressing my support for the Interim General Plan amendments for lands associated with Kona
Kai Ola, the JDI marina project.
The interim amendments include directing the Planning Director to conduct a study to determine
the feasibility of amending the General Plan. The proposed study relates to:
I. Expansion and development of lands owned by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
(DHHL) and the Department of Lands and Natural Resources (DLNR);
2. Expansion of Hawaii Small Boat Harbors (HSBH) and mixed use development of
adjoining lands; and
3. Amends the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) map to include
Open, Resort, and Urban Expansion at the JDI project area lands owned by DHHL and
DLNR.
On April 25, 2003, the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) approved the issuance of a
Request for Qualifications/Request for Proposals to expand the small boat harbor area. On
October 8, 2004, BLNR approved the selection of JDI and authorized DLNR to negotiate a
developer agreement with JDI for the proposed development project. On February 5, 2004,
DHHL announced the major lease agreement to develop adjacent DHHL lands. The lease
agreement was negotiated between DHHL and Kona Marina Development Group, LLC-a
limited partnership between Menehune Development, Inc. and JDI. Both of the state agency's
REP solicitations and planned expansion at Honokohau Harbor and adjacent lands were in
progress before the February 2, 2005 Hawaii General Plan amendment changed land use
designations related to the project area.
Comm. No. ~.O
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Ref. To: Proms.
Ref, Date AUG 0 1 ZUUU
7/31/2006 11:08 AM FROM: Fax TO: 961-8912 PAGE: 402 OF 002
Consideration for a marina project immediately draws attention to community benefit. The
facility management of the state's small boat harbors continues to be an issue and without
legislative support to finance improvements. On July 29, 2006, Richard Rice, the state
administrator for the DLNR boating division resigned, following the recent legislative audit that
reiterated previous findings:
"The boating program's mismanagement and neglect have
deteriorated facilities to the point where their continued use
threatens public safety."
According to DLNR Director Peter Young, Ed Underwood has been named the new acting head
of the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR). Funding from the
legislature continues to be elusive for harbor development, improvement, and maintenance.
The BLNR solicited proposals to expand Honokohau Harbor and to include marina facilities.
The private/public partnership is a means to fund the state harbor development to a viable and
revenue producing facility. The DHHL adjacent project is part of their long-term master plan to
generate economic opportunity for Native Hawaiians and the greater community, and to generate
revenue that will help place Hawaiians on DHHL lands. DLNR and DHHL have set restricting
conditions on development at the harbor and adjacent lands.
As a part of the developer requirements, JDI submitted the Environmental Impact Statement
Preparation Notice (EISPN) on July 8, 2006 to the Office of Environmental Quality Control
(OEQC), which is available for review on the OEQC public website, and with the draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Final Environmental Impact Statement to follow.
All submissions to the OEQC are open to public comment.
OEQC procedures protect all environmental and cultural preservation concerns. In the Final EIS,
the developer outlines any mitigation measures required to address impacts. Project feasibility
meets stringent demands through routine procedures and, in this case, project feasibility meets
additional requirements imposed by DLNR and DHHL. The project is also subject to additional
approval procedures. In the event that mitigation measures are beyond available technology, or
required measures are cost prohibitive, the project will terminate.
JDI has a stellar reputation for environmental responsibility and is willing to work with the
community to improve existing infrastructure deficiencies in the project area.
The February 2005 General Plan amendment changed the project land use designations, after
DLNR and DHHL published RFPs, and after DLNR and DHHL each selected JDI to develop
their portion of the project. The current action before the County Council requests the
restoration of land use designations that existed when DLNR and DHHL initiated actions and
chose JDI to develop the Honokohau Harbor marina/mixed-use project.
I urge the County Council to approve the Interim General Plan amendments. The Kona Kai Ola
project should move through required feasibility and approval procedures based on project
merits.
Sincerely,
Barbara E. Scott
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