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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0088.056 1998-2000 0 0 BOR ©ROR The Crown Lands of KEAUHOU TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL REGARDING BILL 250, DRAFT 4 BY JOSEPH K. SPENCER, III ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER KAMEHAMEHA INVESTMENT CORPORATION MARCH 4, 1999 ALOHA MR. CHAIRMAN AND HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL. I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF KAMEHAMEHA INVESTMENT CORPORATION (KIC) TO BRIEFLY SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF OUR OBSERVATIONS, AND TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF BILL 250, DRAFT 4, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE FUNDING OF THE "KAHALUI TO KEAUHOU PARKWAY." g g . 5C Comm. No. File No. 14CCMIG Presented COUMCM- Ref. To: MR KAMEHAMEHA INVESTMENT CORPORATION Ref. Date 4 1999 wassa Aunt INIS I RAIION' 567 South Kinn Street, Suite 600 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 -3036 Telephone (8(18) 5 -1408 Facsimile (808) 599 -3952 KONA Omc[, 78 -6740 D1akolea Street Katlua -Kona, Hawaii 96740 -2472 Telephone (8081322-0088 Facsimile (808) 322 -2075 0 0 FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO PREFACE OUR COMMENTS BY STATING THAT WE SUPPORT THE CHANGE IN NOMENCLATURE FROM "HIGHWAY" TO "PARKWAY." WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CHANGE IS NOT MERELY COSMETIC. IN FACT, IT IS A CHANGE IN SUBSTANCE. IT ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS RAISED IN KONA THAT RELATE TO THE NEED TO RETAIN A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. THIS SPEAKS TO A SENSITIVITY TO AESTHETICS, LANDSCAPING, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, AND COMMUNITY PRIDE. THESE ARE ELEMENTS THAT SHOULD BE FUNDAMENTAL TO A MAJOR PROJECT OF THIS KIND. FOR THIS, WE APPLAUD THE GOOD WORK OF NANCY PICCICHIO AND CURTIS TYLER -2- 0 0 FROM THE REGIONAL STANDPOINT, KIC BELIEVES THAT THE PROPOSED PARKWAY IS ESSENTIAL TO EASING THE GRIDLOCK ON THE MAUKA HIGHWAY. IT MAY NOT BE THE PANACEA FOR THE ENTIRE REGION OF WEST HAWAII, BUT IT SURELY WILL MAKE COMMUTING TO WORK OR TO SCHOOL MUCH MORE TOLERABLE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN SOUTH KONA AND KA'U. AS DEVELOPERS OF THE KEAUHOU RESORT, KIC SEES THE PROPOSED PARKWAY AS BEING CRITICAL TO THE ORDERLY OPERATION AND ANTICIPATED GROWTH OF KEAUHOU. AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, THE KEAUHOU BEACH HOTEL HAS BEEN REFURBISHED, AND IS NOW OPEN AND OPERATING AS THE ASTON KEAUHOU BEACH RESORT. THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. -3- 0 O LIKEWISE, THE COMPLETION OF THE " KEAUHOU CINEMAS" AT THE KEAUHOU SHOPPPING CENTER HAS BEEN A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT AND CONTRIBUTION AS A VENUE OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF WEST HAWAII. WE SEE THE CONTINUATION OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS AND ANTICIPATE THE FURTHER REVITALIZATION OF THIS RESORT DESTINATION. FOR THESE REASONS, WE HUMBLY URGE YOUR SUPPORT OF BILL 250 AND YOUR CONTINUED GOOD WORK FOR WEST HAWAII AND THE COUNTY OF HAWAII IN ITS ENTIRETY. -4-