HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-03-05 PL-SMA-2023-000046 Arthur Frederick Kennedy Opposition Testimony From: Arthur Frederick Kennedv
To: W PCtesti mono
Subject: Testimony regarding development at Punalu"u
Date: Tuesday, March 5,2024 5:15:44 AM
*Regarding public commentary,having an important community
meeting on a weekday doesn't offer adequate opportunity for the
working people of Ka'u to attend.Please add an additional
planning meeting on a Saturday.
*An Environmental Impact Statement is needed,since the current
one is more than 50 years old.Deciding to move forward without
one feels disrespectful to our community and to the aina,and does
not feel in integrity or pono.
*There were five Hawaiian Hawksbill sea turtle nests at Punalu'u.
We had not had a nest here since 2018.About 95%of all
Hawaiian Hawksbills nest along the Ka'u coast and there are
maybe 20 nesting females TOTAL each year.They are critically
endangered and they are very sensitive to light--both when
nesting and when the hatchlings are trying to make it to the ocean.
Any kind of a development at Punalu'u beach would be very
detrimental to their already fragile survival.
*NO DISASTER MITIGATION PLAN.Pele can be unpredictable
and things can change very quickly here.The beach is already
reaching capacity and building a development that is not coastal
dependent within 200 feet of the high tide mark puts people and
facilities in danger.Tsunamis,earthquakes,flooding and other
potential hazards need to be considered and anticipated—if not,
there could be huge losses and liabilities.
*No burial treatment plan in place.
*Building condos at Punalu'u will most definitely increase our
property taxes.
*There needs to be an updated shore assessment and setback.This
certification is especially important when there are plans to put a
cafe about 100 feet from the beach,as seen in the proposed village
diagram,#15.
*The owner has listed 143 acres as conservation,which currently
is planned from one fish pond to another.If this was extended to
reach the boat ramp,it would ensure much better environmental
protection for the endangered hawksbill turtles,green sea turtles
and the Hawaiian monk seal.
*The current infrastructure is very poor.How is the developer
going to deal with waste water,necessary water supplies and what
fire suppression systems will be in place?