HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-20 Michelle Melendez Support
From: Michelle Melendez
To: Planning WPC Testimony; Planning LPC Testimony
Subject: Support Bill 170
Date: Sunday, September 20, 2026 5:16:35 PM
Aloha,
My name is Michelle Melendez, and I support Bill 170 and its purpose of making clear that industrial-scale data centers are not a permitted use under the existing County zoning code.
Hawaiʻi Island has limited land, water, electricity, and infrastructure. Projects of this scale deserve careful public consideration before they are allowed.
I ask that Bill 170 also be strengthened by clearly defining “industrial-scale” and addressing potential loopholes, including dividing a large project into smaller facilities and whether data
centers could still be approved through a special permit or other process.
Any exception for public institutions should also be clearly and narrowly defined.
Please support Bill 170 while ensuring the final language clearly establishes what is and is not allowed.
Mahalo,
Michelle Melendez
Freedom Activist | 5x Award-Winning Author
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