HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0331.005 2006-2008 Page 1 of 1
From: GeoMikeS@att.net
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 6:55 PM
To: Ford, Brenda
Cc: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Communication 331: (Res. 158-07)
I support the passage of Communication 331: (Res. 158-07) giving the County Council the find
approving authority for developments greater than 7 units.
It is both proper and prudent that this measure be passed at this time. The Planning Commission has
shown through its actions the past several years that they aze not capable of evaluating requests_in a
broad fashion but rather have concluded that a myopic ruling on simply whether or not to issue a permit
is sufficient to perform their function. There are today numerous examples where the infrastructure and
land use are severely strained because of their nearly rubber stamp approval. For example, flooding of
family coffee farms in South Kona is occurring because of inadequate review by the Planning
Commission of mauka developments, even though concern was expressed in public forums; it was e
ssentially ignored in what can only be described as an anogant approach that the Commission knows
better than the public. Even recent approvals have been for developments to be sited in known FEMA
flood plains with the consequences left to other Departments that are often unable to deal with the
problem because of lack of funding or an untenable engineering resolution.
Because significant numbers of people have been put in harms way by the Planning Commission's free
rein on granting permits, this amendment to the County Code is not only necessary but long past due.
There is no accountability of appointed officials for these errors and it is appropriate that the
responsibility for decision making be turned over to a body that does answer to the public.
Michael Reimer
Kailua-Kona, HI
GeoMikeS att,net
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