HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0964.039 2004-2006
General Plan amendments - Bill 309 Page 1 of 2
Murashige, Laura
From: Janice Palma-Glennie [palmtree7@earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 10:23 PM
To: county council testimony
Cc: charlie stanton; mattbinder@earthlink.net; Roberta Brashear; Paul Campbell, Duane erway
sierra club; cory harden; phil barnes; David Kimo Frankel; guy nicholson
Subject: General Plan amendments; - Bill 309
Importance: High"
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Bill 309 - Planning Director Initiated General Plan Amendments
Aloha, Council Chairman Higa and Council members:
I am testifying on behalf of the Moku Loa Group of the Sierra Club regarding planning director initiated changes
to the recently up-dated General Plan. We are asking that you strike the following LUPAG map sections from
rezoning consideration:
F-2:
This amendment would change the Land Use Designation of almost 100 acres above Kealakekua Bay
from Important Ag lands to Rural.
We oppose this change since it would allow greater development density in agricultural South Kona. It would
allow more "fake farms" where real farming is a way of life. If fake farm subdivisions like Hokulia are
encouraged in this region, real farmers and a true rural atmosphere - and a historic Hawaiian way of life will
be precluded.
Additionally, the price of land increases when luxury subdivisions like Hokulia are built. This drives up the prices
of land formerly affordable to local residents and changes the environment to one which better suits wealthy
Mainlanders.
E-4:
This General Plan amendment would change the critical coastal area around Honokohau Harbor
(proposed for development by Jacoby) from "Open" designation to "Urban Expansion"
• First, no development plan currently exists that r-ecluires this change. Changing this zoning designation
at this time will undercut the publics ability to take part in the land use process at a more logical time in
the future whenfif a plan is actually on the table.
• Second, it's difficult to understand why the Planning Director would support this major change of zone at
the same time as the administration supports the ongoing CDP process. As Mr. Yuen knows, 80% of
the participants at the last Kona CDP meeting prepared maps that designated the E-4 area to remai
Comm. No.
Ref. To: Plre>`•r-
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8/23/2006 Ref. Date 2
General Plan amendments - Bill 309 Page 2 of 2
both open and protected public, coastal space. Though Conservation zoning would better suit this
vision, the Open designation given to this land a short year and a half ago at the end of another
lengthy public process is closer to the community's request that this and all remaining, undeveloped,
coastal land be protected from development.
• The public, the mayor, and four members of this council stated support for postponing rezoning or
subdivision in areas deemed critically overburdened due to lack of infrastructure. This land fits that
category.
• The latest report by the Marine Sciences Department of the University of Hilo showed that nearshore
development in West Hawaii - even in areas developed to a relatively limited degree - were suffering
severe damage due to surrounding development. Even waters off of NELHA and Hokulia showed
damage directly related to coastal development at those sites. What, then, can the justification be for
the further urbanization and destruction of critical nearshore habitat and ocean species at Kealakehe? It
can't be to provide jobs - workers are arriving by the planeload to fill those that exist. It isn't that Kona
doesn't have enough land in Urban zoning. There's more than enough to fulfill even the grandest
development dreams. What could possibly be the reason for anf-ofyou to agree at this time to
urbanize any coastal, public, open space when West HawaPi is already overstressed by development?
We ask that you delete E-4 from the list of potential change of zone being requested by the Planning Director at this time.
Mahalo a nui loa,
Janice Palma-Glennie
Moku Loa Group - Sierra Club
8/23/2006