HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-13 PL-SPP-2024-000075 Opposition Testimony from Olani LillyFrom:Olani Lilly
To:Planning WPC Testimony
Subject:Testimony for Special Permit Application PL-SPP-2024-000075 (Teppy Mountain, LLC)
Date:Wednesday, May 13, 2026 12:50:54 PM
Attachments:Testimony_ Special Permit Application PL-SPP-2024-000075 (Teppy Mountain, LLC).pdf
Attached please find my testimony for Special Permit Application PL-SPP-2024-000075 (Teppy
Mountain, LLC)
-- Joel Olani Lilly (she/her)
Chief Executive Officer, CoMission LLC(808) 960-5732 ; olani@mission.consulting
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INFO GIVEN AT WPC 5-14-26 SPECIAL MEETINGOPPOSITION TESTIMONY FROM JOEL OLANI LILLYPL-SPP-2024-000075
TO: Windward Planning Commission, County of Hawai‘i
FROM: Olani Lilly, CEO of CoMission LLC / Hilo Resident
DATE: May 13, 2026
SUBJECT: STRONG OPPOSITION to Special Permit Application PL-SPP-2024-000075 (Teppy
Mountain, LLC)
Aloha Chair and Members of the Commission,
My name is Olani Lilly. I am a Hilo resident and the CEO of CoMission LLC. I am writing to express
my strong opposition to the Special Permit application by Teppy Mountain, LLC
(PL-SPP-2024-000075) to allow a 500-person festival with overnight camping and commercial
vehicle storage on agricultural land in Pāpa‘ikou.
This proposal is a clear example of the extractive, uncreative "solutions" that continue to threaten our
island’s rural character and agricultural future.
1. Our Neighborhoods are Not Festival Grounds
As a neighbor in Hilo, I know that the residents of Pāpa‘ikou have built a community rooted in
agriculture, quietude, and mutual respect. They do not want a "Coachella" or a "Burning Man" in their
backyard, and we should not be allowing it in ours. These types of massive, high-impact events are
fundamentally incompatible with the lifestyle and the infrastructure of a rural agricultural corridor.
Bringing 500 attendees and amplified sound into this space infringes on the rights of the families
who have lived there for generations.
2. Rejecting the "Tech Oligarch" Land-Grab Model
We are seeing an alarming trend of tech oligarchs coming into Hawaiʻi, buying up vast tracts of land,
and then attempting to impose their own visions onto our communities without regard for local values
or zoning laws. This applicant has already demonstrated a blatant disregard for our County laws by
holding unpermitted events in 2023 and 2024, resulting in over $34,000 in fines and multiple
cease-and-desist orders. We must stop supporting a system where those with deep pockets believe
they can ignore our rules and later "buy" legitimacy through a Special Permit.
3. A Lack of Economic Imagination
This proposal is an incredibly uncreative response to our island’s economic challenges. It remains
tethered to a dying tourism model that treats Hawaiʻi as a playground rather than a home. This event
is not built for the people of Hawaiʻi island; it is a magnet designed to attract non-residents, leading
to the further extraction of our precious resources by people who do not live here. We should be
investing in economic models that empower local farmers and Indigenous practitioners, not those
that turn our ‘āina into a temporary stage for outside entertainment.
4. Industrial Use and Environmental Harm
Beyond the festival, the request to "legitimize" the storage of commercial gravel trucks on agricultural
land is an insult to the intent of the State Land Use Agricultural District. Furthermore:
○Fire Risk: Introducing "burning art" and 500 campers next to the Hilo Forest Reserve is an
unacceptable risk in our changing climate.
○ Infrastructure: Indian Tree Road is a narrow residential road that cannot safely support the
influx of festival traffic alongside heavy commercial vehicles. This is a safety crisis waiting to
happen for our families.
The Commission’s role is to protect the long-term health of our land and people, not to legitimize
illegal activity after the fact. We must think more creatively about our future and stop allowing our
land to be repurposed for the whims of wealthy outsiders at the expense of our residents. I
respectfully urge the Commission to deny this application in its entirety.
Mahalo,
Olani Lilly
CEO, CoMission LLC
olani@mission.consulting