HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-09-19 Dorothy Boewer Opposition
From: Dodie Boewer
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Subject: Subject: Opposition to Bill 170 – Leeward Planning Commission Hearing (Sept. 24, 2026)
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026 2:01:40 PM
Dear Chair and Members of the Leeward Planning Commission,
My name is Dorothy Boewer, and I am writing to express my
opposition to Bill 170. While I completely share the community’s serious
concerns regarding Hawaii County’s fragile infrastructure, environmental
health, and the protection of local agriculture, an outright blanket ban is
a short-sighted mechanism to address these challenges.
Banning an entire sector prevents the County from enacting smart,
stringent regulations. If we use strict regulatory oversight instead of a
ban, we can legally force developers to protect our ecosystems and
upgrade our infrastructure entirely at their own expense.
I oppose Bill 170 and urge a strict regulatory approach based on the
following critical points:
Targeted Protection for Native and Indigenous Birds and
Wildlife: Hawaii’s unique, vulnerable ecosystems require the
highest level of care. Industrial developments can pose
catastrophic risks to native and indigenous wildlife, particularly
endangered, nocturnal seabirds susceptible to light pollution and
heavy infrastructure. Rather than a blanket ban, the County should
mandate strict wildlife mitigations for any potential facility. This
must include requiring fully shielded, wildlife-friendly downlighting
to protect flight paths, zero-glare building materials to prevent avian
collisions, and extensive, mandatory habitat protection studies.
Protecting Our Limited Water Supply: Hawaii County cannot
afford to deplete its precious aquifers. Rather than a blanket ban,
the County should pass strict zoning laws that completely prohibit
water-cooled data centers. We should mandate 100% closed-
loop, waterless air-cooling systems, ensuring that any facility
built consumes zero municipal or agricultural water resources.
Preventing Rising Energy Costs for Residents: Increased
power demands from large-scale facilities must not drive up
electricity rates for local families. The County should legally require
data center developers to build and fund their own off-grid,
independent renewable energy sources (such as dedicated
solar or geothermal projects). They must be barred from drawing
from the existing public grid if it risks increasing utility bills for
residents.
Coexistence with Private Agricultural Land and Cattle: To
protect our ranching communities, regulations should enforce strict
geographic buffer zones, noise-dampening acoustic barriers, and
heat-mitigation standards to ensure that private ranch lands and
cattle populations remain entirely undisturbed.
A blanket ban assumes our technology and zoning codes cannot adapt.
I respectfully ask the Commission to recommend denial or a deferral of
Bill 170, and to instead direct the Planning Department to draft rigorous,
resource-focused performance standards that robustly protect our
environment, water, utility rates, and precious native and indigenous
wildlife.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Boewer
Kailua-Kona, HI
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