2024-03-04 PL-SMA-2023-000046 Elizabeth Jenkins Opposition Testimony

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From: Elizabeth Jenkins To: WPCtestimonv;Council Remote Testimony Subject: Punalu"u Black Sand Beach development proposal Date: Monday,March 4, 2024 12:47:16 PM March 5,2024 12:25 PM Aloha Windward Planning Commission Thank you for hearing my written testimony. I am asking you to deny the Special Area Management Permit PL-SMA-2023-00046 for the reasons stated below. As a 24-year resident of Ka'u and a passionate and devoted lover of Punalu'u Black Sand Beach I must voice my extreme level of concern for any"development"of Punalu'u Beach and adjacent properties that would affect this pristine environment. My kids grew up here at the time when buses drove across the beach and sat with engines running while kids played on the beach trying to avoid the noxious fumes.With community input we solved these problems so that our kids could have a safe,beautiful environment to play and many families could fish,and enjoy family time.This is one of the few beaches where access for local families is primary,not just for tourists.We want to preserve the special character of this beach and adding 225 residential short-term housing units would overload the area and diminish access for our local families. Furthermore,we can count many threatened,endangered,or critically endangered species that call Punalu'u home,including but not limited to,the Green Sea Turtle,the Hawksbill Sea Turtle,The Hawaiian Hoary Bat,the rare orange and black damsel-fly,the Io or Hawaiian Hawk,and the Hawaiian Monk Seal.Adding this amount of population to our delicate Punalu'u Beach ecosystem would have a devastating impact on ALL of these endangered species. In our studies of the capacity of Punalu'u Black Sand Beach in 2006-2007 when a developer threatened to add over 1500 million dollar homes to this 434 acres at Punalu'u,it was determined that the beach was already at capacity,without adding new homes.Where is the infrastructure to support this population if 400 new housing units were added?The current water system cannot support this increase,nor is there adequate capacity for evacuation in case of tsunami or earthquake.The high water mark has changed since 2006-7 and it has already been determined in our CPD that all development should be well set back from this high-water mark.The current proposal for these units does not take this into account. If any changes are to be made at Punalu'u we,as a community,require a new EIS be undertaken to accurately determine the impact this proposal would have on all Native species,including the human`Ohana that currently uses Punalu'u as a vital recreation center for our families. My whole family votes NO on any development at Punalu'u without the required newly updated Environmental Impact Statement and without adequate setback from the high-water mark. Thank you for hearing my testimony. Aloha Mai,Aloha pono, Elizabeth B.Jenkins, 94-6448 Mamalahoa Highway, Naalehu,HI 96772