Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11-03 Adam Roberts Testimony GP 2045From:Adam Roberts To:WPCtestimony Subject:General Plan comments Date:Sunday, November 3, 2024 6:55:53 PM Aloha, In general this plan is vague and has undefined terms. It is disturbing that the county is implementing a general plan while the vast majority of the residents have no idea that this exists and is being implemented. Something so important should have been broadcast to all taxpaying citizens. These are the "stakeholders". The undefined terms and unsupported references make much of the plan unactionable. It breeds the ability for the county to interpret this however it benefits them best, and not necessarily the people of Hawaii. Here are just a few of my concerns with this plan. Infrastructure: One water strategy does not fit Big Island’s diverse areas. There should be no control on the public’s water. Relocating bridges to save miles driven seems very labor intensive and unnecessary. The general plan specifies Social Equality in decision making, however, most people have no idea what the general plan is when I mention it to them. There has not been enough advertisement on this and education for the public. We all receive tax bills in the mail from the county , but the county did not send anything to us regarding this very important plan. It should be in every single resident’s mailbox. There should be clear wording and an extensive revision time so that all needs are met and concerns addressed. I would also like to add that this document is extensive and difficult for the average person to have time to read. Please do not hinder public access to public lands. 3.2 The word acquisition is very concerning here. Whose land are you going to acquire and how? 13.41 What is adequately served by infrastructure? What does that mean? Obj 14 Please do not reclassify land without the owner's permission. 14b What does this mean? Home occupancy negatively impact rural character? 4.1.6 Highest and best use of AG land. Who decides what this is? Protecting farmers and homeowners land rights is imperative! AG 15.5 YES ! Please support visitor accommodations that support AG. This is the direction we should be going 100%! Please do not limit those accommodations! Allow them to be farm houses, ohanas, yurts, camping areas, etc. 4.2.2 Encourage energy efficient transportation, but do not punish those who do not or cannot use it. 4.2.3 Please open the mountains for more hiking and public enjoyment. 18.3 yes! Please increase transit to education centers and places of employment. Please consider those coming from rural areas and also the time that most people get off work or school is around 5 or sometimes later. Last bus currently leaves Hilo Community College at 3:40pm for Ocean View-as an example. 24.9 Please do not further restrict small community clubs, like the sailing club. They have seen higher fees and they are a much needed community group! Section 4.3.1, Table 33, Subsection Electricity & Energy, Bullet 5: This point is vague at best. There are no studies cited to prove the claims. What energy practices? How do they offload costs to other communities to offset positive climate action? Section 4.3.1, Table 33, Subsection Electricity & Energy, Bullet 6: What is the point of this statement? Section 4.3.1, Table 33, Subsection Telecommunications & Broadband, Bullet 3: Define accurate digital literacy data. This has the potential to violate our right to privacy. Section 4.3.1, Table 33, Subsection Telecommunications & Broadband, Bullet 5: Streamlining the permitting and approval processes for large communications companies rather than focusing on streamlining the process for residential construction is telling of the counties priorities. It has been stated by the county on multiple occasions there is a housing crisis, however, acquiring building permits is extremely difficult and inefficient. Fixing what is broken in the planning process is needed before making things easier for large companies. 4.3.2 Objective 25, Bullet 25.5: Clustering of Developments, or its equivalent, is stated multiple times throughout this document. Define the process of clustering of developments. This needs to be detailed and not ambiguous. Should this remain vague, it becomes clear there is malicious intent against the people of Hawaii. There are multiple items I did not see in the general plan. 1. Providing better police force to handle situations, especially in rural areas where response time can be 3 hours or more. 2. Providing solutions for the dog issue on this island. Countless people have been attacked by stray dogs, and many of them injured, at least one dead. This should be one of the top issues to address and make a solid plan to deal with. It involves many areas of this island, especially rural areas. The problem is growing and the “solutions” currently are not working. We need to make our streets safe again. We need to make our neighborhoods safe again. These dogs wipe out entire herds of goats, flocks of chickens, household pets including other small dogs, and cats. It is absolutely unacceptable that it continues on like it does. The noise issue is also in need of being addressed.