HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0795.005 1996-1998
County Council Testimony, June 1, 1998 Meeting
Orchidland Community Association opposes the McCully commercial rezoning request
on the Keaau bypass.
The original intent of the bypass was to relieve existing congestion in Keaau. This
grows worse monthly. Keaau is the bottleneck of the transportation corridor between
Hilo and Puna. With roughly 40,000 and 30,000 population respectively, these two
districts account for 1 /2 the islands population. Puna is a bedroom community for
businesses in Hilo with many workers commuting daily. Agricultural goods from Puna
must move to Hilo for sale. The free movement of workers and goods is essential if these
two districts are to have an efficient economy. Every planning decision that adds to the
difficulty of movement leaves a permanent burden.
When the fourth stop light is placed on the bypass to serve this commercial development
it will hinder traffic flow through Keaau. However, the long term consequences of setting
a precedent by allowing commercial development right on the bypass are even more
serious than this one stop light. This rezoning will lead to adjacent developments,
drawing traffic from both Hilo and Puna, eventually resulting in the bypass becoming main
street.
As we attempt to link with the global economy we must become more efficient, not
less. We've seen what happens when infrastructure is neglected. We're all familiar with
the traffic in Honolulu. The recent financial implosion in southeast Asia is attributed in
part to the failure to build efficient systems that kept up with business expansion.
During rush hours in Bangkok pedestrians move faster than cars.
For too long the Big Island has acted as if the General Plan is irrelevant. As
congestion in the Hilo-Puna corridor worsens we cannot continue to ignore planning
considerations. Please listen to the objections raised by the Planning Department, the
Department of Transportation, the Puna Community Council, the Puna Traffic Committee,
and the individual subsivisions, by denying commercial development on this vital artery.
Mark Willman
Orchidland Community Association Board
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