HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-02-10 Letter to Ryan I. Yamane and Chris Todd HB 2578 Relating to Public Lands .•- •-rt os„� Roy Takemoto
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County of Hawai`i
Office of the Mayor
25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553
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February 10, 2020
Representative Ryan I. Yamane, Chair
Representative Chris Todd, Vice Chair
Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs
Dear Chair Yamane, Vice Chair Todd, and Committee Members:
RE: HB 2578 Relating to Public Lands
Thank you for this opportunity to comment on HB 2578, as it would impact the Waiakea
Peninsula in Hilo, Hawaii.
We support any legislation that will help the revitalization of Banyan Drive and the rest of the
Waiakea Peninsula. Virtually everyone familiar with this area agrees that it is underutilized and in
disrepair. It is the center of tourism in East Hawaii, but it is a jewel that is quite tarnished at the
present time.
Hawaii County has taken first steps toward revitalizing the peninsula, including the creation of
the Banyan Drive Hawaii Redevelopment Agency (BDHRA); and a conceptual master plan has been
created as a starting point. But funds are needed to conduct the environmental impact statements
necessary to complete the redevelopment plan and move forward, and those monies are not
available.
Under HB 2578, DLNR would create a new planning committee to oversee Banyan Drive and
would require that BDHRA be disbanded. This might mean going back to square one, but the
tradeoff is that the bill presumably will provide meaningful funding using current DLNR revenues.
Although we may not agree with all provisions of HB 2578, we support a measure that directs
resources, both statutory and financial, toward the redevelopment of Banyan Drive while providing
some local perspective in decision-making.
Therefore, we ask that you act favorably on HB 2578, so that a resolution can be hammered
out in conference.
Resp ctfully Submitted,
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Harry Kim
MAYOR
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.