HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-09 PL-CCI-2024-000003 Bill 121 Gwen Olins TestimonyDept of Planning, Kona Hawaii,
When the Dept of Planning decided to legalize the short-term vacation rentals, my neighbor Cathy
Sinclair and I attended the meeting. We were told all of the conditions and restrictions they had to
comply with to be legal. There were required quiet hours, maximum number of guests, and an on
island contact. Then the mainland owners of vacation rentals were allowed to speak and promised
all these things would be enforced. It couldn't have been farther from the truth.
Kona Heights and Kealoha are quiet residential neighborhoods. Mostly owned by retired or senior
citizens, some with younger children who have respected each other for decades. The short-term
rentals are a blight on Hawaii's neighborhoods for so many reasons.
We were given complaint forms which I took in person to the planning dept. One employee threw a
complaint back at me without even looking at it. At that time, I was told if a rental had the police
called 3 times they could lose their permit. One house close by has had numerous complaints with
parties lasting past 2 am.
The house across the street with a pool facing me has a mainland owner that most of the time
doesn't even respond to complaints. Recently he had 3 couples as guests who partied in the pool
from before 7am till 10pm blasting loud music. It went on for days. My nerves were fried. It's just
not fair. i have been a resident of this neighborhood for 45 years, owned businesses, contributed to
many fund raisers in the community and now for my retirement I have short term vacation rentals
on both sides of me. I would love to have long term rentals or new owners which would be a
blessing for people who work here and need housing.
Please take the short term vacation rentals out of non -resort neighborhoods.
Mahalo for your consideration,
Gwen Olins
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75- 510 1� 96 754
HAND DELIVERED
RCVD CDH PLANING DEPT
APR 9'2'1 AK11:33