HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-07-07 Written Testimony from Robert Silber Dear Members of the Planning Commission and members of the Public,
I am here today to apply for a special permit for my property at 13-2060 Lolia Place. I
understand this is a request and a privilege not a right.
I would like to explain why I have applied for this permit.
For 30 years I have worked in the Fields of sustainable development and personal growth and
development. I have lived, worked and taught courses at centers all over the world. I am a
member of the Holistic Centers Network which is made up of centers that integrate a residential
community of staff and volunteers with guests who come to learn at the center.
My background includes an undergraduate degree in Political and Social Thought from the
University of Virginia, a masters degree in permaculture, massage school, and many courses in
a variety of personal growth modalities such as meditation, yoga, trauma healing,
sensuality/body awareness, and others. For many years I worked for environmental non-profit
organizations such as Sierra Club, Waterkeeper Alliance, Center for Science in the Public
Interest and many others.
I moved to Hawaii and Puna in 2004 and co-founded La'akea Permaculture Community. I have
been involved in the intentional community movement for decades and am a member of the
Hawaii Sustainable Community Association.
Over the last 10 years, I have developed Lolia Place into a model off-grid neighborhood of 12
privately-held lots. One of the lots is the subject parcel we are discussing today, 13-2060 Lolia
Place.
In 2013, 1 had the opportunity to purchase a 25 acre parcel which was at that time an
abandoned macadamia orchard which provided no food, native habitat or homes. In 2014, The
original subdivision was approved by the County of Hawaii. Upon subdivision, I sold 5 of the 6
lots and I re-invested the profits of the sales of these lots into the development now known as
Hawaii Eco Retreat.
My aim in building the Lolia Place neighborhood was to create a beautiful residential community
and an educational center located in the neighborhood.
In 2016, 1 retained the services of consultant Michael Dresser who advised me on the
construction of buildings suggested we build first and then get"As-Built
Permits. This was a huge mistake. I should have applied for building permits and this special
permit before 1 ever started construction. I also should have had more meetings with local
neighbors who were bothered by the construction of the Lolia Place paved road back in 2014
and suspicious of a new intentional community in their neighborhood.
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I thought by being a good neighbor, being helpful and available to talk and receive feedback
would be enough to generate good will and support for the project. As you can see by the
emails exchanged in late 2022, we addressed all of the concerns voiced at that time by property
owners adjacent to Lolia Place (Furst, Tama, Lawrence, et al).
In terms of supporting the local neighborhood we are a telecommunications hub providing
high-speed internet to an underserved area, providing a natural disaster hub for the
neighborhood which is above the Tsunami zone, and meeting space. Many neighbors enjoy
playing pickleball here on a regular basis which supports senior citizens' health and wellness.
Due to financial hardships of the 2018 lava flow and the pandemic, it has been difficult to survive
financially but we have built our short-term hosted vocational rental business to the point of
consistent 5-star reviews and Superhost status on Airbnb. You can review the long list of
favorable reviews Hawaii Eco Retreat has generated via our short-term hosted vocational rental
business.
In addition, we have planted hundreds of fruit trees and large gardens where much of our food
comes from. We are totally off-grid with 72 solar panels, 51,000 gallons of water storage and a
geothermal well for the spa area.
We provide a place for healing, solitude, nature, as well as social connection in a drug and
alcohol-free environment. We are very quiet and respectful of neighbors.
Unfortunately, in the age of social media, QAnon and conspiracy theorists, we have generated
opposition from some people in the neighborhood near Lolia Place who are not familiar with the
actual day to day life here and wonderful experiences that people have here. Several of the
neighbors in opposition to our special permit have never visited us even though we have invited
them many times. In addition, we have experienced some volunteers and guests break our
agreements around drugs and alcohol and then try to exact revenge by planting stories about us
on social media.
We ask you to evaluate our special permit proposal in light of the many people who have
submitted supporting testimony who actually know us, the support of the County of Hawaii
Planning Department, and the understanding that Puna and Big Island need more places like
Hawaii Eco Retreat.
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