COM 0598.022 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

a•.M LAND USE RESEARCH ' FOUNDATION OF HAWAII 70o Bishop Street, Ste. t928 Honolulu, Hawaii g68t3 Phone 52t-4717 Fax ~bor32 September 9, 2007 The Honorable Pete Hoffman Council Chair 8 Presiding Officer and Members of the Hawaii County Council 333 Kilauea Avenue, 2"" Flaor Council Room Hilo, Hawaii 96720 counciitestimonv(a~co.hawaii.hi.us RE: Bill 151, Draft 2, Amendment to Chapter 27, Flood Control, Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edfion, as Amended) Dear Chair Hoffman and Council Members, My name is David Arakawa, 6cecutive Director of the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii ("LURE°), a private, Wort-profd research and trade association whose members include major Hawaii landowners, devebpers and a utility company. One of LURF's missions is to advocate for reasonable and rational land use planning, legislation and regulation affecting common problems in Hawaii, such as housing, development, and transportation. LURE supports flood control legislation which is based on federal and state requirements, and would also support additional requirements which are based on scientific or engineering principles, practices and considerations. However, in the case, we must express our strong opposition to Bill 151, which is based on the following: • Bill 151 includes addiRional arbitrary requirements which are not based on scientfcc or engineering principles, practices and considerations; • The additional arbitrary requirements far exceed the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program ("NFIP")and other federel and state requirements; • The additional arbitrary requirements will result in additional costs and will be passed on and could result in price increases too high for Hawaii County residents who are first-time home buyers. • The additional arbitrary requirements restrict the use of private property; and • The additional arbitrary requirements thus constitute an unconstitutional taking of land." Comm: S g 22 Ref. To: Prat Ref. Dote SEP R 9RfF7 1