HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0176.024 2006-2008 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
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From: GeoMikeS@att.net
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Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 2:45 PM
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: Ford, Brenda
Subject: Testimony for Bill 51 Foodplain management r~
TESTIMONY ON BILL 51
I urge the County Council to consider very thorough and comprehensive use of Bill 51 regazding
floodplain management control especially when development occurs on current open lands.
Permit me to provide an example of a present situation where development will extensively modify
lands that are within a floodplain area and impact known flood zones.
Recently, the Planning Commission approved an SMA Permit for Sunstone Kona LLC to develop over
40 acres of vacant land makai of Kuakini, mauka of Ali'i Drive, and south of Ali'i Sea Villas. Currently
this parcel allows water from the collection shed mauka of Kuakini to flow across it and disperse makai
over the expanse of the 40 acres.
The development proposal plans constraining this flow by the use of a channel that will be constructed.
This channel prevents the water from flowing over the property and directs the water makai toward a
known, FEMA identified flood plain.
It does not take a rock scientist to understand the impact of the hydrologic modification here. Very
conservatively, meaning conditions well short of those of a hundred year flood, if there are just 12 acres
of the water collection area makai of Kuakini, a common heavy rain squall of just one inch will produce
an acre foot of water (about 350,000 gallons) that now entirely is forced into the channel. If the water
collection area is comprised of 1,200 acres and there is typical burst of rainfall of two or three inches in
an hour or two from a tropical storm, then over 35,000,000 gallons of water are available for this
channel.
This much additional water passed into a known floodplain will change the boundary of the floodplain,
widening it considerably and in this case, toward existing housing complexes. This could then lead to a
hazard and flood insurance being required where none was before. Without proper settling traps, one
can only guess how much sediment will be carried to the ocean, less than a quarter of a mile away.
To further complicate this scenazio, a paved road is planned that will be within the floodplain (existing
as well as potentially expanded) to provide entrance to the proposed development. Although an
environmental impact statement, a document that would have studied these issues, could have been
required by the Director of the Planning Department, the Commission chose not to recommend it.
This is the type of problem I hope the Council can help ameliorate with the use of Bill 51. The impact
of development to an entire area must be considered, not just a particular property.
Michael Reimer Z
Kailua Kona Comm• W j ~ L
GeoMikeS@att.net Ref. To: 2007
Ref. Uate
3/20/2007