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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0018.007 2006-2008 Ken Melrose P.O. Box 109 Kealakekua, HI 96750 Home Ph/Fax: 323-3378 Ken's Cell: 345-0854 E-Mail: melrosek001(a~hawaii.rr.com December 19, 2006 TO: Mr. Angel Pilago Chair, Council Committee on Planning FROM: Ken Melrose Subject: Comm. 18, Res. 16-07 Mr. Chairman and members of the Hawaii County Council: My name is Ken Melrose. I reside at 81-950 Onouli Road in Kealakekua. My personal opinion is a moratorium is not good public policy. It throws a wet blanket over everything, throwing the baby out with the bath water. It paints the County into a corner when projects that might include needed linkages or a strong affordable housing component see no current future in being proposed. I think you would be better served to pass a resolution for positive action, like telling landowners where you would be willing to consider zoning changes. I serve in a couple of volunteer leadership positions in West Hawaii. As Chair of the Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference, I am leading an effort, initiated at the request of Council Chair Hoffman, to work with Roy Takemoto to help create an implementation strategy for the long proposed Regional linkage Mid-Level Road from Palani to Kaiminani. Much of this road alignment is through government lands and much is also through several of our members lands. However, many pieces are missing to complete the Linkage desired, and under a moratorium the County looses much of its leverage to encourage them to participate in the alignment of this much needed component of regional infrastructure. I also serve as the Chair of the Steering Committee of the Kona Community Development Plan. That group has not agreed on a position on the subject resolution, having been divided in debates to date on the proposal of a moratorium. The Kona CDP is a pilot project for the County and it is evolving slowly, as a new process with a high concentration on public input. The creation of working groups has slowed progress at the same time it has increased opportunities for valuable community input. Our Kona CDP Steering Committee did not meet in December because the scheduled work products from the County's Consutants were not submitted for our consideration as agreed. Our Planning Director is taking these Consultants to task for these missed deadlines. Comm. No. Ref. To: Ref. Uate As it has evolved from the Community Forums, the Kona CDP proposes no changes to the Urban Growth Boundaries of the General Plan. The GP which the Council approved just two years ago and again just a few weeks ago with the amendments. Our General Plan has all the current infrastructure linkages identified and sets the most current goals and policies for planning in the County. I suggest you use the GP as your guide in decision making. The Kona CDP process is wrestling with the concept of Growth Opportunity Areas (GOAs), all identified as part of the community forums as the areas where future growth would be preferred. As directed by the Community, these areas would have more concentrated urban style development, rather than the more spread out settlement pattern that would result from the present zoning. All of the GOAs are located within the existing Urban Growth Boundary of the GP. The Steering Committee debated at length whether these GOAs would have hard boundaries and become the only places development would occur, or whether they would have flexible boundaries and be where incentives were offered to encourage growth to occur. The Steering Committee voted that they be soft and be incentive driven. Incentives discussed might include density bonuses for increased open space or more affordable housing or government funding support for desired linkages, etc. The CDP process will seek to help prioritize infrastructure projects, but the network necessary to address the traffic impacts of growth in Kona is already identified in the GP. But, as studious Council Members, you already know what is needed to relieve traffic congestion in Kona. Other than a few connections between existing and new subdivisions, the County just hasn't been able to do much about it. Please don't make the CDP the scapegoat or the lightning rod for past inaction, by linking its adoption to the term of a proposed moratorium. The CDP process will be ongoing well into next summer before the Steering Committee even has a product to consider. It will then go through the Planning Commission before coming to the Council for consideration. I hope you have the political fortitude to make the hard choices and adopt it as Ordinance, as no Council before you has been able to do. In the meantime, don't wait to do something. Set a positive direction. Like funding the new infrastructure needed to address even today's situation, let alone future growth. You have the roadmap, in the General Plan. Today we hear lots of "No More". Kona has been discovered and we are part of the United States, so we can't keep our citizens from coming here. What Kona needs is more "What if?" and "How can?". Positive problem solving attitudes and actions toward addressing infrastructure shortcomings are what is needed, not a moratorium. Thank you for this opportunity to express my personal opinion. Respectfully Submitted, Ken Melrose