HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0315.009 2018-2020 COMM, 315
From: mak221(daol.com
To: Kierkiewicz,Ashlev;Chung,Aaron; David,Mail e; Eoff,Karen; Kanealii-Kleinfelder,Matt;Lee Loy,Sue;
Poindexter,Valerie;Richards,Tim;Villegas,Rebecca;Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony on Olsen
Date: Monday,July 22,2019 9:37:10 AM
Esteemed council members, Aloha :
I agree with this testimony. <
Mark A. Koppel
Umauma
comments on Bill 83 and Bill 84, draft 2, re.
Olson property in Pu'u'eo
for Hawaii County Council Planning Committee,
1 : 00 PM Tuesday, July 23, 2019, Kona chambers
from Cory Harden, Hilo 333cory@gmail .com
Mr. Olson is to be commended for his many years
of contributions to our community, and this
project has great potential to add to those
contributions.
However, please require written approval from
SHPD (State Historic Preservation Division) and
BLNR (Board of Land and Natural Resources)
before Council approves the project.
The law requires Council to get DLNR
(Department of Land and Natural Resources)
"review and comment" before approving land use
changes, so impacts to cultural and historic
properties are addressed . The issues here are
Comm. No.
Ref. To: PPG
Ref. nate JUL 2 2 2019
illegal land disturbance, cemetery damage, and
perhaps other forgotten cemeteries. And as Ms.
Villegas said, people were there long before
plantation times, so there may be cultural sites or
areas important for gathering .
Approving this project now, as Ms. David said,
would set a bad precedent of the County going
forward with dubious authority because another
agency is taking too long .
Note also several eyebrow-raising moments from
your June 18 meeting .
Mr. Fuke said "all of this delay is SHPD's
responsibility" and said there is already an AIS
(Archaeological Inventory Survey) and burial plan
—leaving out the fact that SHPD approved
neither. Mr. Fuke proposed that to speed things
up, Council should subpoena SHPD to appear at
the next meeting . But it's not the Council's job to
grease the skids for a developer. That could give
the appearance of favoritism . Any legal action
against SHPD should be taken by the injured
party, Mr. Olson .
Mr. Fuke and Mr. Cross gave the impression that
SHPD has not responded to them for over a year.
But Ms. Kierkiewicz noticed there was a phone
call to SHPD staff, documented in the Planning
Department background report, indicating SHPD
may be changing course and pursuing the
violations. And when Ms. David called SHPD, she
was told there are ongoing negotiations.
There were contradictory statements. Mr. Cross`
timeline said "January 2018...Olson denies all
fault and wrongdoing". But Mr. Fuke said there is
some amount of culpability on the part of Olson
trust", and the December 2017 letter from SHPD
documents illegal ground disturbance.
Mr. Fuke answered a question that should have
been answered by Planning Department staff: Mr.
Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder asked if the County could
approve the project if SHPD did not respond
within a certain time, and Mr. Fuke suggested
doing one track for the AIS and one for the illegal
ground disturbance. Several months ago, Mr.
Fuke also gave advice about County procedures
at a meeting on Pi`ilani Partners. Councilmembers
relying on a developer for advice about County
procedures could be seen as favoritism, especially
when Planning Department staff are sitting right
there, ready to answer.
Please also address two other lingering issues :
will the agriculture lots really have agriculture?
And how will this project help reduce
homelessness?
Mahalo,
Mark Koppel
Umauma