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JNZY OF h,� William P.Kenoi �:•'�� '.ol Duane Kanuha Mayor Director Bobby Command f•• N�M >e oF'N►�' Deputy Director County of Hawaii PLANNING DEPARTMENT PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street,Suite 3 • Hilo,Hawaii 96720 Phone(808)961-8288 • Fax(808)961-8742 May 13,2014 Warren H.W. Lee, Director Department of Public Works 101 Pauahi St., Suite 7 Hilo,Hawaii 96720 Dear Director Lee, Subject: Support for Reopening of South Lauko Road We,the Puna Community Development Plan(PCDP)Action Committee, do hereby submit this letter of recommendation to reopen South Lauko Road. A meeting held specifically to address this issue over a year ago was attended by yourself and County Councilman Zendo Kern at the Department of Public Works, in which you requested, and Zendo Kern concurred,that an official response from the PCDP Action Committee was required in order for the county to proceed with planning to reopen South Lauko Road. You have each voiced your desire, along with Mayor Kenoi,to proceed with the necessary planning, allocation of resources, and subsequent reopening of South Lauko Road once this is accomplished. The Puna Community Development Plan Action Committee herein expresses its complete support of this action in order for the county to proceed with planning to reopen South Lauko for reasons which include those stated below. The report of the subcommittee on Connectivity and Emergency Response was considered for acceptance by the PCDP AC at their May 13,2014 meeting, in which S. Lauko Road is clearly designated as the 91 option for upper Puna. By unanimous vote the PCDP AC accepted this report and"priority list" from the subcommittee on Connectivity and Emergency Response, which is being transmitted to you under separate cover. As you are aware,the South Lauko Road is completely owned by the County of Hawaii, and was previously used in the 1960's and 1970's by the general public. In 2013 the Hawaii County Department of Public Works paved almost a mile of South Lauko Road. Currently the Fern Acres Community Association Board of Directors has had extensive discussion with many community members and has voted unanimously in favor of reopening South Lauko Road to reconnect with Puhala Street as soon as possible. The current lava flow from Pu`u `0'6 is active and slowly moving behind of our Fern Acres Community about 1.7 miles away. The potential for another dry summer this year will subject the over 1,800 residents in Fern Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer