HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0258.006 2008-2010
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Murashige, Laura
From: toni withington [sundownertoni@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, April 20,'2009 11:17 AM Z~~9 20 1 j
To: counciItestimony@co,hawaii.hi.us C(11_?
Subject: Resolution 106-09 before Council Tues. April 21
County Council Resolution 106 - Tues. April 21, 2009, 11 am
Testimony of Kamakani `O Kohala Ohana - Kako'o
Kako'o strongly supports Resolution 106. Kako'o is a North Kohala non-
profit community group of volunteers who have for over 20 years worked within
the county and state laws to preserve the public, historic and open nature of our
district's coastline. It is the only long coastal stretch in our entire state that is
accessible and free of development. We and many others in Kohala are dedicated
to keeping it that way.
Last Wednesday, April 15, Mayor Kenoi said in a statement in West Hawaii
Today of the parcels of land on the County's list for priority purchase: "In fact,
none of the properties currently designated for acquisition with the fund are being
threatened with development."
This statement is not true. Both the Pao'o and Kaiholena properties have
been and are today threatened by development of large oceanfront mansions.
What is keeping them from being built now is the diligence of ours and other
Kohala groups to work with the land owners to bring about public purchase of the
[ands.
Our group fought construction of the first mansion at Pao'o in 1994-95
before the State Land Board, resulting in that board's decision to let the permit
expire. The second mansion proposed at Pao'o was subject to a protracted
contested case hearing before the Land Board in 2007-08 which ended with the
owner withdrawing his application for building a complex of walled structures on
this recreational and historic [and. We have since worked with the owner who is
willling to sell the [and for public preservation. However as a mainland-based
professional investor he will not wait long before re-submitting plans for another
residence with the State.
Kaiholena is for sale and on the MLS now. Wells have been sunk, and the
original parcel subdivided into six separate parcels. Nothing is keeping the owners
from selling the lots to builders of homes on land having the MOST NUMEROUS
INTACT, PRE-CONTACT ARCHEOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL SITES IN THE STATE.
Kohala folks as well as our group have been talking to the owners for several
years now encouraging a sale of the [and for public preservation.
Twenty years of working to preserve the open coast by preservation
Comm. No.
Ref. To:
4/20/2009 Ref. Date Hen 21 2009
Page 2 of 2
purchase of the few non-government owned land parcels will come to an end if
you, the County Council which has unanimously supported purchase of these
specific parcels through Resolutions 616-08 and 644-08, vote to gut the Open
Space fund mandated by the voters of this county. We understand the County's
financial hard times and urge you to find solutions without destroying all the work
that our community has invested in saving these lands from development and to
prepare them for public purchase..
We have worked within the laws and regulations of the County to get these parcels
to the top of the County's priority list. Now we ask you to do the same.
Malama na lihikai 'o Kohala nei,
Toni Withington
4/20/2009