2024-05-06 Felicia Abrojena OP - Laserfiche WebLink

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From: Ouihano Chaaty To: WPftestimony Subject: FW: Punalu'u Project Date: Monday, May 6, 2024 8:23:39 AM Attachments:mmel.ioeo From: Felicia Abrojena <feliciaabrojena@icloud.com> Sent: Sunday, May 5, 2024 10:04 PM To: Council Testimony<counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov> Subject: Punalu'u Project Aloha, I'm writing in opposition of the proposed development of Punalu'u beach in Ka'u. This right here is how you "price people out of paradise". Ka'u is one of the last "affordable" districts on the island. Building a resort in Ka'u will definitely raise those already ridiculous prices. Look at what happened to Puna in the last couple of years? More development = higher rent, higher home cost, higher everything. Ka'u needs a more equipped hospital. In any emergency after calling 911 you'll be taken by ambulance to either Hilo or Kona hospital. Imagine dying and being told that your community hospital can't care for you so you need to take a two hour drive and hope you get there in time. Or going into labor and being told your community hospital can't deliver babies so as a result, your chances of delivering your baby on the side of the road while trying to make it to a hospital who can, is very high. Ka'u needs a REAL grocery store for both Pahala and Naalehu, their communities are forced to purchase theirs daily household essentials from a gas station. Ka'u needs a school for Ocean View being that it's the largest subdivision on the island! Kids from Ocean View are forced to drive to Kona to attend school, why is it so hard for these children to receive an education in their own community? Ka'u needs an expanded school for Naalehu children that includes a middle and high school, so their students don't have to travel to Pahala and risk being stuck every time the highway closes which is does ALL THE TIME. The road closures have become such an issue that Pahala Elementary and High school will send students home when it's rainingto avoid stranding students. Ka'u needs a much needed gas station for Pahala! What happens during an emergency and these residents can't even fill gas to evacuate?Ka'u needs all of these things before it needs a resort. You wanna build? Build something USEFUL for the PEOPLE OF KA'U! Ka'u isn't against change, it's against meaningless change. A hospital, gas station and schools would also bring jobs to Ka'u since that's such a `key point" of the developers plan. I've attached a map which was taken directly from the developers website. Every year the area circled in red burns. Not an exaggeration. Punalu'u catches fire every single year. Everyone whom is familiar with Ka'u, knows this. Because most of the brush fires start near the highway, this means anyone below the entrance to Punalu'u is essentially trapped in. Again, anyone whom is familiar with Ka'u knows that Ka'u is dry and Ka'u is windy. Daily. How capable is this developer of evacuating hundreds of people in a matter of minutes? Especially with five of the twelve fire hydrants being inoperable. Have we not learned from the tragedy of Lahaina? It is not a matter of if but a matter of when and how many lives will be lost by the negligence of the developer. Felicia Abrojena 0