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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-02-27 PL-SMA-2023-000046 V. Croft Testimony DeVera, Ashley From: Victoria Croft <vjcroft@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2024 2:26 PM To: Planning Internet Mail Subject: Punalu'u Beach development Aloha, Allow me to introduce myself, I am Victoria Croft the coordinator of Malama Pono Punalu'u. We're the turtle police on Punalu'u Beach! We arrive on the beach at 4:30 when the lifeguards leave, and we stay till sundown. Our group has been monitoring the beach and collecting data since July of 2022. Punalu'u beach is on every website for people looking for black sand and/or turtles. This has equated to a large number of tourists. The problems facing the beach today without additional residents and commercial traffic are as follows. 1) Parking 2) Tourism 3) Hawksbill nesting 4) Sand removal 5) Hurricanes 6) Threat of earthquakes and tsunami 7) Hawaiian Monk Seal visiting The first and most major concern is parking. It has been noted by Malama Pono Punalu'u (from 4:30PM till sundown) that a great number of tourists are coming to the beach to see both the black sand and the turtles. Tourists will fill both the parking lot next to the pavilions and the additional parking that is noted on the plans for the restaurant and museum area plus the adjacent parking next to the lea shack. Parking will then overflow onto the street even though there are no parking signs posted and boulders blocking the parking space, but people still park there, resulting in parked cars extending onto and blocking the lane. This overflow hinders traffic flow in both directions and will and does impact emergency vehicles as well as lifeguards. THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW! You have to ask yourself; will emergency vehicles get through in the future with the additional residents and commercial parking? Since parking is now at a premium, lifeguards have a hard time parking in their space as well as the vendors. The vendors have allotted a space to Malama Pono Punalu'u for the persons on duty to park. When we come at around 4PM we have a hard time finding a spot and often have to wait 15 to 20 minutes for someone to move even in our designated spot. This parking lot always has someone waiting for a spot and emergency vehicles trying to access the beach, even have to wait. Therefore, I suggest, that parking is inadequate now and will be a nightmare in the future and should take priority in your planning so as to mitigate future damage. Furthermore, when nesting season starts, multiple groups need parking access in order to help preserve endangered species. This includes multiple cars which need a parking space near the vendors for various reasons, this includes federal, state and volunteer. When DAR came down to rescue an injured turtle, they had problems parking. The turtle rescue took over a week because they could not get there in time and the turtle would go back in the water. Federal protected wildlife, endangered species, is the ongoing concern for Malama Pono Punalu'u. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (Honu), 98% of the time, come to bask in what is now a rock enclosure. They choose the area and the lifeguards and others built and maintain the enclosure. Green sea turtles do not nest on Punalu'u beach, however, the Hawksbill (Honu'ea) do. The Hawksbill nesting, which as an endangered species, require the attention of and the monitoring by the Hawksbill group and Malama Pono Punalu'u. The Hawksbill group have people walking the beach every morning during nesting season to check for turtle tracks. Fifty to Sixty days after a nest has been verified, monitoring of the nest site is put in place. This is handled by a number of educated certified members and requires a member or two of the Hawksbill group to camp overnight to assist with and monitor the nests. They make sure that there is no additional lighting around to hinder the emerging turtles from making it into the sea. Only red flashlights are used to see on the beach. Car head lights are a problem now and lights from additional housing will be a problem in the future. What will additional residents and commercial properties do? At the very least they will add more light pollution to a very dark beach hindering the Honu'ea hatch. People will be coming down to camp out and watch the hatching necessitating more volunteers to control and patrol the area. Volunteers are at a premium and hard to keep. Hurricanes are another concern. Punalu'u beach is never closed by the county except when there is a hurricane. When this happens the parking lot next to the pavilions as well as the parking lot next to the lea shack, is taped off using yellow police do not enter tape. The tape is quickly taken down with the wind and tourists park there and go down to the beach. Lifeguards have a tough job keeping people off the beach, however, when they leave at 4:30PM the beach is left to anyone and everyone. I have witnessed, from a distance, cars parked and tourists on the beach. Tourists do not understand the danger. I believe the threat of an earthquake and tsunami is a great concern and we have little control of tourists and residents alike. Evacuation will be a major problem due to traffic concerns. This is a tsunami zone. I would also like to address the problem of the Hawaiian Monk seal. Although their visits are infrequent, we must keep people at least 50 feet from them at all times. If they are molting, they become nasty creatures. Mothers with pups need a distance of 150 feet. On a narrow beach this is a problem and will cause injury to anyone getting closer. Again, will the emergency vehicles be able to make it through the traffic? 2 May I suggest that, if 400 units were built along HWY 11 only, with an additional parking lot next to the beach, there will be little opposition. Yes, there will be more people on Punalu'u beach, but with the groups that are in place monitoring and educating people along with additional parking, near the beach, not just what is in the plans, the situation may be acceptable. Approving this plan, as is, will be a recipe for disaster. The health and safety of residents, visitors, wildlife and cultural and natural resources are put in jeopardy. Punalu'u beach will no longer be the #1 spot to visit the turtles and see black sand. Should you need more information on any of the above points please do not hesitate to call me. Victoria Croft 530 306-1301 3