HomeMy WebLinkAboutPL-REZ-2022-000033 J. BENNETT TESTIMONY 12.12.2022 From: iohn bennett
To: LPCtestimony
Subject: PL-REZ-2022-033
Date: Monday,December 12,2022 8:16:00 PM
Dear Hawaii County Council,
The proposed development of Royal Vistas in the Ahupuaa of
Holualoa(Long Slide)has many Red Flags that should not be
overlooked.I read in the West Hawaii Today recently that another
development in the area had been asked to perform a"Cultural
Evaluation". The land subject to this Development should equally
be asked,as it is rich in history. The Mauka Makai potions of the
property align directly with a remnant portion of an ancient Holua
located on the north property of the"Holualoa Inn".This Holua is
different(not meant for sport)as it was built for hauling canoes.
Directly Mauka of the proposed
Development :Guests of Holualoa Inn can
walk our historic grounds, where the
remnants of an ancient holua slide
can be seen in our botanical
gardens. www.holualoainn.com/historv-of-the-holua-slide/
Directly Makai of the Royal Vistas proposed Development is
the Kealakowaa Heiau(the Path of the
Canoe).http://data.bishopmuseum.org/Kekahuna/kekahuna.phn?
b=closeup&ID=43
Henry Kekuhuna in 1953 surveyed this and states that a canoe
Hauling Road from the Heiau"through the Royal Vistas proposed
development"past the Holualoa Inn remnant and into the forests
around 4000 feet of elevation.Tom Puhaku Stone whom is the
leading expert in Hawaiian Holuas with a Masters Degree from
University of Hawaii states, "Not all holua slides had walls but
nearly all those on Hawaii Island do.The purpose was to hold the
rock in the slide in some sections and in areas that needed to be
raised.When you mention moving of logs from mauka-makai that
is an important point because the koa forest line was at a lower
elevation when we were gathering the great trees for our wa`a,
papahe`enalu,etc.
The current Enviromental assessment mentions nothing of this
Holua. THE AHUPUAA IS NAMED "HOLUALOA" (LONG
SLIDE) TO DELIVER THE KOA WOOD FOR CANOE
BUILDING.
According to the recent EA,You will find mention of double rock
walls as merely cattle shoots in recent history.
Hooray Bats
Hawaiian Hawk(10)
Pueo(Hawaiian Owl)
All of these species live in the subject area and are thriving!
In closing,it is very dire that the County Council recognizes
that the assessment needs to be culturally evaluated before moving
forward.Currently the plan does not conform to the community
Development Plan,as the EA does not include Historic Trails.The
Kona Community Development Plan also allows for
Development north of Palani where the infrastructure could
support this scale of building.The proposed property is too steep
to add more infrastructure. Common sense, would rezone the
property to single family,and or agricultural,historical land.
Kailua Kona/Holualoa doesn't deserve a Junk Plan from 1983 to
stain it now.
Thank you for your time,
John Bennett
Kona Resident