HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-25 Email Joni Metzler Kaupulehu Land SLU & REZ (Inadvertently not given to LPC) From: Joni Metzler
To: LPCtestimony
Cc: John Metzler; Planning Internet Mail; Evans.Cynthia F.W.; Inaba. Holeka; Kimball. Heather;
noriko.sauer(�i)hawaiicounty.gov; Katherine A.Garson;Onaona P.Thoene
Subject: 6-25 Also also sent to Planning Email Kaupulehu Land-SLU DBA and Rezoning-June 20,2024 LPC Hearing
Date: Tuesday,June 25,2024 6:32:40 AM
Attachments: imaae001.ona
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Importance: High
Dear Chairperson Barbara DeFranco,
I am writing to you now because I signed up to testify on behalf of my project in
front of the Planning Commission on June 20, 2024. I was signed on to the meeting,
however,was not allowed to provide my testimony. If I were allowed to testify I would
have stated the following:
Contrary to what one of the testifiers swore under oath, I contacted close to 50
business owners and leaders is the Kamuela community personally to discuss our project
with them and asked them to write letters of support for the project,provided in our
presentation materials. I did send a suggested letter of communication to the business
and community leaders, some of which were signed and returned as-written due to their
busy schedules, however, there were quite a few who took the time to write their own
letters of support.
In addition to speaking with all of the supporters who provided letters of support
for our project, I also contacted or attempted to contact the following persons who live in
close proximity to the project:
1. John and I have spoken several times to Benjy Garfinkle,who owns the
property bordering our property line on the west side of our property.
Also, John has had extensive e-mail communication with Mr. Garfinkle.
Mr. Garfinkle operates rentals in ALL of the five houses located on his
property. One of Mr. Garfinkle's TMK's is Zoned Commercial 7.5. After
our communications with Mr. Garfinkle, my opinion is that his objection to
our rezoning and subdivision is because we would be in direct competition
with his properties and it would make it harder for him to sell or rent his
properties. Mr. Garfinkle purchased the commercially zoned property in
2023 for $1,175,000 and it appears that he may have over-paid for the
property and is now unable to develop the property as he desires. Thus,we
have talked numerous times to Mr. Garfinkle via email and phone
conversations.
2. Kristen Counter contacted my husband John Metzler to discuss the
subdivision when we first started the rezoning process, yet she swore under
oath in the recorded LPC meeting that we had not discussed it with her,
ever. One of the Commissioners,Mr. Kanuha, actually stated that the
reason he voted against approval was that the applicant had failed to
contact neighboring property owners about the project!!! When Ms.
Counter initially contacted us about the project,John explained to Ms.
Counter that the property would have to be subdivided in order to sell her a
portion of the property and he would speak to her after receiving
subdivision approvals. The Counters purchased their property in April of
2020 and paid $595,000.
3. I contacted Myron & Debra Lindsey who live in the subdivision across the
street, consisting of 10,000 sq. ft. lots. I have discussed our project in
several telephone conversations and emails with Myron. Myron told me he
supports our effort to develop the property but because of family and
community relations he was afraid to put anything in writing in support of
the project. We talked many times to the Lindseys about our project, and
we have lots of emails to prove that statement.
4. We talked many times to Mr. Ian Langevin about our project,via verbal
conversations and emails.
5. We attempted several times to contact the owner of Atlas Recycle through
their broker Downy Sylva and asked Ms. Sylva to have the owner contact
me. Atlas Recycle owns a commercially zoned property in close proximity
to our property on Mamalahoa Highway. The owner did not return my
telephone calls.
6. I telephoned Joseph G. Pickard,Environet, several times, and left messages
about our project. Environet also is located on a commercially zoned
property on Mamalahoa Highway. I never received a returned telephone
call.
7. John & I personnally visited the Pizza Restaurant across the street and
spoke with the owner,James Angelo,who was familiar with the work by my
husband's firm,Metzler Contracting Co., and was supportive of our efforts
to re-zone and sub-divide our project.
8. I attempted to contact Nancy Hwang Haines,the owner of the building
housing the Fish & the Hog restaurant, in addition to several other tenants
in the building but after several attempts was unsuccesful in reaching her.
9. I did not attempt to contact John Kawano or his wife Ceci Davinport or the
other activists from the TNT telescope who testified against the project.
Mr. Kawano operates several businesses, a welding shop and a party supply
outfit from his Ag-5 acre property. We have never complained about the
noise or the dust created by the businesses operated on his property nor can
we confirm whether or not his business activities are legal or whether or not
his buildings thereon were permitted, but the neighbors say that the
buildings were not permitted and that the extensive paving that Kawano
has done has probably made for less water absorption in the area because of
no dry wells.
More importantly,we have owned the property for 22+ years and as my husband
mentioned, during his testimony, after purchasing the property he and many others
spent several years cleaning up the property from the materials dumped there. This
included extensive loading and hauling of over 4,000 cubic yards (-300 dump truck
loads), clearing of large fallen trees, grading, fencing, etc.
A lot of this work was hand labor and we also used chain saws, a small bulldozer,
backhoes, trucks, etc. One of the photos below shows one weekend's worth of gathering
rocks from the property after the heavy concrete and pavement were removed the
weekend before....there were many, many piles of hand-picked rocks over the course of
this cleanup work.
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In addition to clearing and cleaning up the land,we restored the (2) dilapidated
plantation houses on the property. My husband restored the houses to the time period
when they were originally built. This included ginger bread trim, original windows,
doors, door hardware, hardwood floors, lighting, landscaping, etc. in the ranch
vernacular which we intend to enforce for the residential components of the project.
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My husband over the last 50+ years has helped numerous families in their
endeavor to purchase their homes on the Big Island. In addition to helping the Ishihara
family when he originally purchased the property, it was Ian Langevin who my husband
helped to build his first home on one of the lots at Puukapu. Currently,we have a family
member and an employee living in each of the (2) houses that reside on the property and
we have been trying to subdivide the property to enable us to help them purchase the
homes individually. In addition,we have other employees and family members who have
expressed an interest to buy and build on the other (3) half acre lots that are planned.
In closing,we have worked with architects and the many consultants to dot every
(i) and cross every (t) to ensure that we are in compliance with the Kamuela, County of
Hawaii and State of Hawaii requirements.
I find myself perplexed,when we have followed all of the different
recommendations over the last two years by the ever changing council members,in
addition to following rules and regulations by the local, county and state regulators and
our project has "ALWAYS" received a "FAVORABLE" ruling from Zendo Kern,
County of Hawaii Planning Director, and your council gives our little "8" lot subdivision
an "Unfavorable" ruling!
It is unfortunate that I was not given the opportunity to counter the untruths in
the testimony that was given by activists and people who I term as having the "Last One
In and Shut the Door" syndrome.
Barbara,I do appreciate your support and that you were able to see the effort we
have made over the last several years to develop an aesthetic family development that
would complement the Kamuela community. I ask that you share this e-mail with all of
the Leeward Planning Commissioners.
Sincerely,
Joni J. Metzler (R) B
808 640 6832
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