HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdditional Testimonies (4) 2025-02-14 Kathy Johnson through 2025-02-16 Dea RackleyFrom:Kathy Johnson
To:WPCtestimony; LPCtestimony; Council Testimony; Kimball, Heather; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Onishi, Dennis;Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Villegas, Rebecca; Galimba, Michelle M.; Inaba, Holeka
Cc:Inaba, Holeka; Hustace, James; cohmayor@hawaiicounty.gov
Subject:Opposition to General Plan 2045
Date:Friday, February 14, 2025 10:27:22 AM
Good Morning,
Thank you for taking the time to read our concerns regarding General Plan
2045.
Our family currently resides and owns property in Hilo and Papaikou. I have
worked for a family with agriculture farming in Papaikou for the past 10 years
and we absolutely made the right decision to live here and raise our family
here. We love everything about living here and feel blessed to be part of our
community and hope that we can someday be able to pass our home on to our
family. We are very concerned and oppose many of the proposed changes in
the General Plan 2045 being considered. There are many flaws in this plan
that I believe will negatively impact both our community and our family
directly. We are very concerned about water rights- this should not be
privatized – everyone should have access to water without paying for it from a
private source. We are also worried about what this plan could allow and the
possible effects proposed would have on our ownership and use of our existing
land.
I work for a family who owns land that they actively farm for over 20 years,
they harvest the land responsibly, provides revenue for our County,
employment for so many, including myself, and preservation of the beautiful ag
land we enjoy on the Big Island. The owner has always told me how special
this place is, it is a safe place where you can live off the land and resources we
have from farm to sea- but you have to give back to the land and community
and not just take. What will happen if the proposed restrictions on land use,
property rights and zoning negatively impacts agriculture on this island or for
our neighbors? There is so much packed into this general plan and it lacks
feasibility, overestimates resource availability and places undue burdens and
risks on taxpayers and rural communities.
We respectfully request that you oppose the current General Plan 2045 as it is
currently written. Focus on resolving what is currently broken, ensuring roads,
utilities and housing affordability are being addressed before adding expensive,
unproven speculative technology. We fully understand that there is a need for
sustainability, economic growth and infrastructure- this plan lacks feasibility,
overestimates resource availability and we believe will place undue burdens on
taxpayers and rural communities located throughout the island.
We thank you for listening to our concerns and hope that you will oppose the
General Plan 2045.
Mahalo,
Kathy & Brennan Johnson along with Bryan Johnson and Linda Smith
109 Panaewa Street, Hilo, HI 96720
From:Kathy Johnson
To:WPCtestimony; LPCtestimony; Council Testimony; Kimball, Heather; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Onishi, Dennis;Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Villegas, Rebecca; Galimba, Michelle M.; Inaba, Holeka
Cc:Inaba, Holeka; Hustace, James; cohmayor@hawaiicounty.gov; ashamallick@gmail.com
Subject:Theodora Mallick Opposition to General Plan 2045
Date:Friday, February 14, 2025 8:13:24 PM
Sent on Behalf of Theodora Mallick, 808-936-0811 Cell. ashamallick@gmail.com. She is
unable to send from the location she is in and asked me to share the following message on her
behalf. She welcomes you to call her to verify if there is any question about the validity of this
email. Thank you.
Good Evening,
I respectfully request that you please oppose General Plan 2045 in its’ current
version and form.
I have lived in and farmed land all around this beautiful island. My business
has provided employment to many people from Kau to Papaikou, including
fruit and mac nut orchards as well as cattle, honey, etc. Myself along with my
children own several commercial properties in downtown Hilo. We are very
invested in Hilo and are happy to be part of this wonderful community. I
received steward of the land for my work in conservation and preservation of
the neglected sugar cane land I farm in Papaikou so I do understand the need to
balance everything. It took me over a decade to restore and create the farms
my family owns here. I have been here for just over 30 years and I am proud
to call Hilo my home. I am very concerned about what this proposed
legislation will do for water rights, which is vital to agriculture and especially
for our cattle, what changes will be made to zoning – especially with regards to
ag land. There are so many infrastructure issues that need to be addressed and
should be of the highest priority over what is proposed here- let’s take care of
our roadways, bridges, sidewalks, downtown Hilo bayfront. Once all of that
is taken care of we can look to putting in more infrastructure that makes the
most sense. I am also concerned that the cost for all of this will fall to property
owners and residents which would be an unfair burden given all that is going
on with the almost elimination of mac nut production and the difficulty we
have shipping perishable fruit off the island to customers in the mainland due to
issues with weight and having our shipments bumped and therefore not
delivered. With the reduction in income from the loss of mac nuts and the
other challenges with expenses of exporting, having more expense would be
devastating financially to our family run businesses.
We need your support and ask that you please oppose this general plan.
Thank you,
Asha Mallick and family- Maya Mallick, Angela Mallick and Monika Mallick
From:Elizabeth Cook
To:LPCtestimony; Council Testimony; Kimball, Heather; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Onishi, Dennis; Kierkiewicz, Ashley;Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Villegas, Rebecca; Galimba, Michelle M.; Inaba, Holeka; Hustace, James
Subject:Do NOT Approve Hawaii County General Plan 2045
Date:Saturday, February 15, 2025 4:30:10 PM
Please do not approve this general plan.
Elizabeth CookGod is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ~Psalm 46:1~
From:Dea Rackley
To:WPCtestimony; LPCtestimony
Subject:Subject line: DO NOT Recommend the Hawaii GP 2045
Date:Sunday, February 16, 2025 11:57:20 AM
Subject line: DO NOT Recommend the Hawaii GP 2045!
Email to model is below (optional):Aloha Commissioners, The Big island Plan cannot go through the way it is designed. It is hard to believe any local helpeddesign this plan. Here are some concerns: There is a huge part of the plan dedicated to "Climate Change". However, why do most experts statethere is NO climate danger? Climate Experts Speak Out Against Climate Danger Click Here!The word "Stakeholder," defined in the plan, is written 86 times and literally means anyone in the entireworld can have input on this plan.Please recommend Stakeholder change to the following: "Local Communities”. Local Communities arelocal Big Island farmers, homeowners, renters, organizations, businesses, and individuals who live onBig Island or have property on Big Island that will be personally affected by projects, decisions, oractivities in the general plan. Effective local community engagement and management are crucial forthe success and sustainability of any initiative, as it helps ensure that diverse perspectives and interestsare considered. The OSCER Department in the plan will null and void all public input and leave decisions to unelectedofficials. This is NOT okay! This department should not be created. This is on page 188, 40.8. The Planning Department has sent out letters too many homeowners telling them their land use will bechanged from resident to recreation due to the General Plan 2045. This will drastically lower theirproperty value and opens the door to rezone the area. This is not pono. It breaks the Aloha Spirit law §5-7.5. To reduce someone's property value is not okay. This must be made pono again. There is a huge section on climate change and things that will be affected. This needs to be furtherresearched. There are over 1900 credentialed scientist that say there is no climate danger. Here is thepdf showing the scientist and what country they are from. https://clintel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/WCD-241023.pdf John Coleman, the first weather man for Good MorningAmerica and the Founder of the Weather Channel has gone on CNN and other media outlets stating,"There is no climate danger". He explain the reason for this narrative is the investors, in renewableenergy, want to make these changes. Hilo does not have a Community Development Plan. How can a Big Island General Plan move forwardwithout that? Hilo is 22% of the island. 1.13 under "Increase the biodiversity and resilience of native habitats" reads, "Incentivize private landmanagement practices that protect and enhance natural resource values and, when appropriate, pursuethe acquisition of lands for the protection of natural resources." "Incentives" mean more taxes."Protection" means more rules. Who's "values" is this plan referring too because it's not the locals?"Pursue the acquisition of lands" does this say they are going to pursing taking people's privateproperty? Again with "protection of natural resources". This plan should be focused on people growingmore food and it is doing the exact opposite!
This plan wants to turn land into "conservation". The exact opposite is what is needed for Big Island!We need to turn land into Ag Villages and grow more food! Steve Shropshire, a resident of Papaikou,has created an Ag Villages plan. Ag Village to add to the General Plan: Papaikou Ag Village Objectives: https://www.standtogetherhawaii.com/_files/ugd/86fc0c_2cb1cc6d604f4cdd971ad40831c745bc.pdf Papaikou SitePlan: https://www.standtogetherhawaii.com/_files/ugd/86fc0c_5e4cdb02efeb46a5ae949a3579aff00d.pdf Papaikou Development: https://www.standtogetherhawaii.com/_files/ugd/86fc0c_c2af52c8b3c645b1a6868a724eee8304.pdf A Hawaiian born Kanaka revised the Collaborative Biocultural Stewardship that is in the plan. You cansee it in the pdf below: PartOne:https://www.standtogetherhawaii.com/_files/ugd/86fc0c_0a1d5be8f1d140069415f7b691725786.pdfPart Two: https://86fc0cbd-8207-4076-85fa-5a62e4e933b4.usrfiles.com/ugd/86fc0c_ecc498ba192d4a7689ebf31c3681c2ec.pdfHere is a longer revised version of the plan from locals: https://www.standtogetherhawaii.com/_files/ugd/86fc0c_b34739e4c99c461685de4c0207bf286e.pdfThe way this plan is written is very far from what will support our island.
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