HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0349.753 2006-2008 Protect Punalu'u by acquisition-survey not valid Page 1 of 2
Murashige, Laura
From: Janice Palma-Glennie (palmtree7@hawaiiantel.net]
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 222 PM ~~L G ~ (?~7
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us -
Subject: Protect Punalu'u by acquisition-survey not valid .
Importance: High
Janice Palma-Glennie
P.O. Box 4849
Kailas-Kona, Hawaii 96745
Tel#:808-324-0093
Aloha, Council members,
I could not support Resolution 169-07 more fervently. It's easy to see that once this developer gets its foot in the door, the flood gates of
overdevelopment are sure to open, and a treasured, wild coastline will be a[ risk.
Please find a letter I sent today to the editor of West Hawai'I Today, It further describes my feelings about the situation, which I hope is
resolved to the benefit of the larger community - notjust those who believe [he fantasy that a developer will help them more than they can
help themselves.
Mahalo again for your consideration of my views on this most critical matter.
LTE:
I've never been polled on my feelings about any mega-development on Hawaii Island. And despite decades of voices crying
out for protection of North and South Kona from the final scraping and paving and privatization of the'aina, the County
almost without fail (and rarely without a legal fight) has given the "go-ahead" for just about any development scheme that
ceme down the pike.
Then came the triumphant election of a "new, improved", more publicly- (as opposed to corporately-) driven County Council
majority. The creation of an Open Space Commission and the signing of a petition by over eight thousand registered Hawaii
County voters demanding the protection of open space for the benefit of public took the cake. Power to the people, right?
Not exactly. A copious public scoping process and decades of pleading to set aside wide open spaces for the public led to
Punalu'u's place as "top dog' for County acquisition. But a new paradigm brought new challenges. Confusing wording kindled
community infighting. Elation dissolved and, voila!: a developer now closes in on another opportunity to seize control and use
of critical, coastal land.
Councilman Yagong's plan 1) to give the developer more opportunity to re-present their Punalu'u plan and 2) to survey the
residents of Ka'u about the public purchase of that land seems to have incensed an already smoldering situation. But will the
community allow itself to fall into another "divide and conquer" trap and ultimately miss a golden opportunity to gain control
and protection of Punalu'u coastline? Has the new Council paradigm of taking the longer view for the benefit of generations of
residents been undermined, again, with ultimate "mighty buck" theft in the wind?
Questions loom about the value and validity of the Punalu'u survey: Who will fill it out and mail it back? Will results be thrown
out if only five percent (or fifty percent?) of residents respond, or will there be a re-survey? Will this same opportunity be given
to other island region residents to weigh in on looming development proposals (i.e., at Honokohau/Kealakehe, O'oma II,
etc....), even though the community through hearings, letters, petitions, and elections -has made it clear that it craves
protection of Conservation and other critical areas from inappropriate development? Or will the decision to give the "green
light" to the highest bidder prevail at Punalu'u another in a long line of mega-development mistakes that will bring more
problems than it solves --just because of the results of a one-off survey?
It's clear that Ka' u needs economic help, but residents are kidding themselves (and ignoring history) if they think that a resort
development will fulfill its promises to the host community. (Traffic, sprawl, gates, get in line for public beach parking, soaring
land prices...one needs go no further than Kona or South Kohala to see the vast "mega-resort" footprint.)
Only work and cooperation will lead to the deep healing that public access and control of natural, open space can bring to
families and communities. A mature approach means meeting the challenges that are bound to arise when a gift of land is
comm. No. 349.153
Ref. Ta ~e~rN
7/2/2007 Ref. Date ~ L 3 2007
Protect Punalu'u by acquisition-survey not valid Page 2 of 2
secured for the public, for all time.
When the sea at Punalu'u becomes polluted, the roads gated, the noise unabated; when the ohana moves to Hilo or
Oceanview to make ends meet, and the children have gone to the Mainland to find decent paying jobs, no amount of wishing
and hoping will bring this rare opportunity to acquire the Punalu'u coastline back to Hawaii residents.
7/2/2007