HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-10 Brad KurokawaFrom:Brad Kurokawa
To:WPCtestimony
Cc:brad.kurokawa@gmail.com
Subject:Testimony to Windward Planning Commission- Brad Kurokawa 3/10-11/2025
Date:Monday, March 10, 2025 1:06:39 AM
Attachments:Testimony to Windward Planning Commission- Brad Kurokawa 310-112025.pdf
Aloha,
Please if possible provide the attached letter as written testimony for WPC members to review BEFORE their March
10 and 11, 2025 meeting discussing the General Plan 2045, Final Recommended Draft.
Mahalo,
Brad Kurokawa
Sent from my iPad
Brad Kurokawa
PO Box 402
Honomu, HI 96728
808-859-7442
Brad.kurokawa@gmail.com
March 9, 2025
Windward Planning Commission, Hawaii County
Aupuni Center 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hi, Hawaiʻi 96720
RE: Testimony on Hawaii County General Plan 2045, Final Recommended Draft dated
July 2024
Dear Chair Daniele, Vice Chair Perrin, and members of the Windward Planning
Commission,
Mahalo to all of you for your voluntary service to our community!
I am testifying as an individual resident of Hamakua though I am a current member of
the Hamakua Community Development Plan (HCDP) Action committee and
former chair of the HCDP Steering committee from 2008-2018. I want to bring to your
attention some specific inconsistencies in the Final Recommended Draft General Plan
2045 and the HCDP adopted by ordinance in 2018. In both of these cases, there was
significant community input and controversy during the HCDP process. Accordingly, I
am respectfully requesting that the Planning department provide their written
rationale for the proposed deviations from the adopted HCDP.
PAPAIKOU POINT (TMK 327004025)
The GP 2045 Final Draft recommends LOW DENSITY URBAN while the HCDP
LUPAG shows it as IMPORTANT AG LANDS, consistent with the State Land Use
District (SLUD) AGRICULTURE. The proposed change is a significant change in land
use from the current A-20a zoning to a Low Density Urban GP designation. There was
significant community opposition to development at this location.
HAKALAU POINT (TMKs 329002081/329002079)
The GP 2045 Final Recommended Draft proposes the majority of the parcels’ area as
LOW DENSITY URBAN with the pali as CONSERVATION and a strip along the top of
pali as RECREATION while the HCDP LUPAG indicates both parcels as OPEN. While
the current county zoning is MG-5a, Industrial and State Land Use District (SLUD) is
Urban, the HCDP recognized that both the county zoning and SLUD are a historical
“snap shot” of its past plantation heritage which are respectively inappropriate and
arguably obsolete. The HCDP deliberately chose to acknowledge this location’s unique
historic/cultural (Kanaka maoli site where a significant battle took place and its
Hakalau Plantation history), environmental (high bluff pali, coastal zone at estuary),
recreational (fishing trail access), and scenic (one of the few accessible scenic
viewpoints to enjoy panoramic views of the Hamakua coastline, adjacent to rare
accessible beach park) values by designating it as OPEN. The HCDP intention was to
encourage future preservation and protection of this extremely unique locale for the
enjoyment of the greater community instead of the prevalent trend of development of
private luxury homes along our coastlines.
The General Plan and Community Development Plans are intended as dynamic
forward-looking, living and adaptive tools to guide the the development of
communities’ future. They should be consistent in reflect our community’s collective
voice, values and aspirational vision.
Mahalo nui loa for your time and consideration!
Aloha no,
Brad Kurokawa