HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0916.000 1996-1998
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Tel: 808) 961-8273
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July 11, 1998 _J EA SI( IMR.P.96J-8572
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TO: Barbara Ha0iII-nolo, Pjaru1=n omtnia staff
Legislative Auditor's OiiTlc:-
FOM: J. Curtis Tyler II . =',U. r'„ ?c oy 'G~~~?+~-
Hawai'i County D;stri.-t Ccu^ `il•
X Bills 269, 27C. s ' 7!72
We received the attached letter Prom TM2 and Susan Russell regarding the subject bills.
°leasehave this correspondcecc plaotec~ on 11e. hily 14th agenda as a numbered
communication and circulate col i„s to cacti °lan;2infl Committee member.
it you have been able to obttiiel ti?,~ iF:lJt' Shr~ Assessment Inventories for the Kona
P4striel, please provide me copy r'"%. r to til- Harming Committee rcxeting since this
lnay come up for
(banks so much for your heap. yt rz ka tGons please call me on Monday.
Po i'l-It' Fax Note 7671 '7,
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9 Naf,,i2, St., Suite 1-A Kailua-Kr i-la -ni ,7 LL, Telephcme: (808) 32(-5654 Fax: i8os) 326-5697
TCT~L P.21
1 07-13-1398 07 44AM KONA County Council Offic 808 326 5697 P.02
to
James & Susan Russell
Kaloko Mauka
Post Office Box 9044
Kailua-,Kona, HI 96745
June 25, 1998
J. Curtis Tyler III
Council Member, 8th District
Dear Curtis
When three requests for rezoning showed up on the Planning Commission agenda at one time we are
appalled! With what we have experienced in the last two years one wonders if we will be left with
any forest by the end of this century!
When we purchased in Kaloko Mauka it was clearly AG-20 and not subdividable. Further,it was
endangered,peaceful and unspoiled. Today it is truly endangered due to continual re-zoning by the
Planning Dept.,the Planning Commission and the County Council. We have lost much of the peace
to speeding cars, drag racing,motorcycle racing and street partiers. Saturday night we had to follow
emergency vehicles up the road to a car standing on its nose and 10 or 12 people standing stunned
on the other side of the street! Last night at the 3,000 ft. mark we had another accident with flare
remnants and debris still all over the area. This one was the result of kids drinking and partying
again. Even casual Sunday drivers do not realize that the nice green grass on the shoulders covers
a most dangerous slippery mud that will send you off in a spin at the lowest speed limits!
When we decided to live in a rural setting we accepted certain conditions ie: little to no police
protection, 45 minute fire response, limited street lighting and an obvious substandard subdivision
with no fire hydrants! We have poorly engineered roads that are improperly banked. They axe
usually wet and always dangerous. We have no cable service, no mail or newspaper service. And
we love it for the trees, ferns, birds and starry nights! We hope after the County chops us up into
much smaller lots that we will still have the starry nights.
Our State and County has always professed to the protection of the native forest not only for the
habitat but for the watershed so vital to this island. This area certainly cannot be replaced nor will
any know how many lava tubes we seal and fill,bow many wondrous tree tubes axe lost and birds and
plants that used to be found only in Kaloko.
The uppermost half of our parcel was covered by the 1801 lava flow. It is the youngest and
therefore, densest part of the forest. It is not yet 200 years old yet our little parcel may soon be one
of the few left!
Even our property tax code encourages bulldozing of the land as we can graze a horse and pay taxes
on pasture land and pay$25 an acre instead of`highest and best use'. No buffers are required if you
~• 07-13-1998 07:44AM KONA County Council Offic 808 326 5697 P.03
want to fence your property and strip it all clean!
Now we have the Hawaii Police Department and the Department of Transportation warning us of the
dangers of the roads and the intersection and requesting no more re-zoning until at least this is
addressed. They are our experts. We hire them to advise us on such matters. To ignore them is to
assume the responsibilities of the consequences for it is truly criminal to overlook the obvious. 3
knew what we were buying when we came to Kaloko, it was not.this! The intersection situation is
certainly an issue but only one of many.
We are the strongest proponents of personal property rights. We also believe that this is a very
unique area there must have some protection. There is plenty of land to subdivide in areas that are
more conducive to subdivision.
Amiu ost Sincerely/
.14
Jr,
James and Susan Russell
TOTAL P.03