HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-10-22 Leeward Exh A (SMA 15-060)
LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I
HEARING TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 22, 2015
KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS–LAND
A regularly advertised hearing on the application of
ASSETS DIVISION–WEST HAWAI‘I (SMA 15-060)
was called to order at 9:33 a.m. in the West
Hawai‘i Civic Center, Community Center, Building G, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway,
Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, with Keith Unger, Chair Pro Tem, presiding.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Keith Unger, Scott Church, Collin Kaholo and Sonny Shimaoka
ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Brandi Beaudet (recused), Barbara Nobriga (recused) and
Thomas Whittemore
ALSO PRESENT: Danny Patel (Counsel for the Commission), Bobby Command (Deputy Planning
Director), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Jeff Darrow (Planner) and Noriko Sauer
(Commission Secretary)
And approximately 80 people from the public in attendance.
APPLICANT: KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS–LAND ASSETS DIVISION–WEST HAWAI‘I
(SMA 15-060)
Continued hearing on an application for a Special Management Area (SMA) Use Permit to allow for
the demolition of the former Keauhou Beach Resort complex and the remnants of the former Kona
Lagoon Hotel facility to allow for the construction and establishment of an educational complex
(Kahaluʻu Ma Kai) and related programs, activities and improvements on approximately 22.73 acres
of land situated within the SMA. The properties are situated on the west (makai) side of Aliʻi Drive,
immediately adjacent to and south of Kahaluʻu Beach Park at Kahaluʻu, North Kona, Hawai‘i,
TMKs: 7-8-013: 002, 013, 042 & 043.
UNGER: We have one agenda item today. Applicant Kamehameha Schools, Land Assets Division,
West Hawai‘i, SMA 15-060. Continued hearing on an application for a Special Management Area
Use Permit to allow for the demolition of the former Keauhou Beach Resort complex and remnants
of the former Kona Lagoon Hotel facility to allow for the construction and establishment of an
educational complex, Kahalu‘u Ma Kai, and related programs, activities and improvements on
approximately 22.73 acres of land situated within the SMA. The Properties are situated on the west,
makai, side of Ali‘i Drive, immediately adjacent to and south of Kahalu‘u Beach Park at Kahalu‘u,
North Kona, Hawai‘i, TMKs: 7-8-13, parcels 2, 13, 42 and 43. Staff?
DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are trying to get a map up. We had it up but
unfortunately it’s giving us a few problems. If we can get that before we start, if that’s okay.
UNGER: Okay.
DARROW: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, Members of the Planning
Commission. As mentioned, this is a continued hearing from our September Leeward Planning
1
EXHIBIT A
Commission on this application. Just to summarize, the Planning Director and the applicant
requested, or were in agreement, for a continuance to be able to resolve some issues regarding the
application. Mainly these issues included public access and the location of the certified shoreline, as
well as questions regarding the educational zone, or the school safety zone. For the past month there
have been discussions between the applicant and the Planning Department, and the Planning Director
has come to an agreement and has been able to release an approval recommendation, and this has
been passed out to the Commission. It’s quite extensive, and we feel that it has addressed the
unresolved issues that were pending.
Just to briefly touch upon it, the main issues that were unresolved are basically discussed in detail
from Pages 10 through 12; so you will see a lot of the information regarding those issues in there. I
wanted to just take one second to also bring to your attention a simple typo that we will take care of,
and that’s on Page 12 in the first paragraph on Line – one, two, three, four, five, six – seven; it says,
“should be will be” and we’ll be removing “should be” that’s in the beginning of the sentence. So the
sentence should read, “With these conditions in place, the public access concerns of the DLNR and
the CRC will be adequately balanced with the legal requirements for preservation of cultural and
historic elements at the property under Article XII, section 7 of the Hawai‘i State Constitution, and
the Objectives and Policies of HRS Sections 205A-2(b)(2)(A) ‘Historic Resources.’”
To bring to your attention, part of the resolution there is two aspects, main aspects, of this project.
One is the demolition of the former Keauhou Beach Hotel, and during the particular time frame the
Planning Director is recommending that the applicant submit an interim public access plan, and this
is under Condition 4. Obviously, during those times there is going to be issues of safety not only for
people on the project site but to the general public that traverses makai of the shoreline, and for safety
reasons there will be areas of restriction, and these will be identified within this plan. This plan will
be through a review and approval by the Planning Director as they proceed with the demolition
project itself. Right now they’ve been granted approval for soft demolition, which is mainly interior
removal of the hotel.
Condition 5 states that “Within twelve months from the date of the approval of this SMA \[Special
Management Area Use\] Permit and prior to the submittal of plans for plan approval \[review\], the
applicant shall submit a comprehensive public access plan for review and approval by the Planning
Director in consultation with the Department of Land and Natural Resources. In addition to the
specific public access components represented by the applicant within the Final Environmental
Assessment and its SMA Use Permit application, the public access plan shall also include the
delineation of public access pathways and parking stalls, signage, operational hours, night-time
fishing procedures, and related improvements and operational details. The applicant shall provide no
less than ten on-site public access parking stalls.” So again, we are looking at two different plans: An
interim plan and a more comprehensive plan once the demolition of the hotel and construction for the
new project begins.
There also is Condition 6 that I can bring to your attention and in reference to the map that we have
on our presentation. Again, previously we had mentioned what is agreed upon as the current
shoreline for the approval purpose, and that is identified on this map as the red line. This is referred
to in the Recommendation, as well as the Background, as the 2014 preliminary State DLNR survey.
The agreement was through the waiver of the submittal of a more formal certified shoreline survey in
2
EXHIBIT A
which the applicant and the Planning Director agreed that in light of a certified shoreline that we
would agree upon this particular line as the current shoreline, and we would use this line in reference
to, Number One, setback, shoreline setbacks for new structures. In this case because on the north
side of the property there is an existing hardened rock wall, we agreed to a 40-foot setback, which is
our standard shoreline setback area, which is identified with the green outline. In the areas where
there were no hardened structures along the south side of the property and through the middle of the
property, the applicant and the Planning Director agreed to hold back the line to 60 feet. And so,
again, the proposal is to hold back all new structures, new construction, out of those areas. There
could be some allowances what we call minor structures and activities within this area, but those have
to meet those standards and they are reviewed and approved through the Planning Department by the
Planning Director. Additionally, this is the line that the Planning Department and the applicant
referred to when we talked about not restricting public access that there is access allowable makai of
this line to the public that would be unrestricted. The only areas that are of concern are obviously the
buffers around the heiau that are in place, and that is for protection of the historic and cultural
resources.
Other than that, a majority of the conditions are standard conditions. But we believe that the
agreement has resulted in a comprehensive recommendation to the Planning Commission. With that,
that concludes our presentation. If you have any questions, I stand ready to answer.
UNGER: Thank you. Commissioners, are there any questions? I have a question. In regard to the
access, is there going to be an opportunity for the public to participate in either the interim resolution,
or access agreement, and then the final access plan?
DARROW: In our standard procedure for public access plans to our SMA permits, if they are not
already, you know, currently we have a plan that is identified in this SMA permit, that’s a proposed
plan. The more comprehensive plan usually is done administratively through, again, the Planning
Director’s review, as well as consultation with the Department of Land and Natural Resources. It’s
not a process that the public, we hold another public hearing or we send it out for comments; it’s
usually done administratively. With that, I’d like to say that the Planning Director through this
process has heard loud and clear what the issues are of concern, and is going to work on making sure
that this plan tries to meet all aspects of both the public’s concern, as well as the concerns of the
applicant and Kamehameha Schools, as far as preservation of cultural and historic sites and safety for
the children.
UNGER: Okay, thank you. So the interim plan that was discussed is already being determined, so
that is going to be it up to the and through the demolition of the hotel, and then after that a more
permanent, a permanent access will be --.
DARROW: Correct.
UNGER: -- determined.
DARROW: The interim plan will need to be submitted prior to the commencement of the demolition
activities for the outside of the hotel; so it hasn’t been submitted as of this time.
3
EXHIBIT A
UNGER: Okay.
DARROW: Thank you.
UNGER: Thank you. We would like to open up this portion of the meeting to public testimony. We
have 30 people who would like to testify from the public. I’ll call three up at a time. And if you
could please limit your testimony to three minutes so that we can work through and everybody gets a
chance to testify. Leinani Navas-Loa, Kamana Beamer, Cathy Okumura and Alapa‘i Kaulia. Oh,
wait, Alapai, if you could, we only have three chairs up there, so the first three, please.
NAVAS-LOA: Aloha mai kākou. Can everybody hear me?
UNGER: If you could raise your right hand, in fact, if everybody who is going to testify raise your
right hand, I’ll swear you in. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth before the Planning
Commission?
TESTIFIERS: I do. Yes.
UNGER: Please state your name and where you reside.
NAVAS-LOA: Aloha. My name is Leinani Navas-Loa. I’ll be actually doing three different
testimonies today.
UNGER: Okay.
NAVAS-LOA: And the first one I will do will be for our ‘ohana, our family, my husband’s family.
The second will be from my ten-year old son who is at school at this time at Ke Kula ‘o
‘Ehunuikaimalino. And the last testimony that I will give will be from Kukulukumuhana O
Hōnaunau.
Aloha mau kākou. My name is Leinani Navas-Loa and I am from the Ahupua‘a of Hōnaunau, Kona
Hema. I am here to represent my husband and our keiki. My husband was raised here at Kahalu‘u
and his ‘ohana name is Na‘auhau and Namahana. They still have ‘ohana land and burials across from
Kahalu‘u Bay. In 2012 our ‘ohana had the opportunity to attend Huaka‘i Kahalu‘u where our ‘ohana
was able to reconnect to my husband’s kūpuna and to learn about their rich cultural history of this
special place. We were guided and taught by Aunty Kalani Hamm, Uncle Mahealani Pai and his
Mama, Aunty Kalei Nuuhiwa, Malia Kipapa, Manaiakalani Kalua and the staff from Kamehameha
Schools. This opportunity has brought our ‘ohana closer to one another and has given us memories
we will cherish forever. Our ‘ohana is in full support for the removal of the hotel. We believe this
new education center will benefit the community, our youth, and to all who come to learn about our
culture, our place and our people. We urge you to support and help push through the SMA
application process. Mahalo.
My second testimony: Aloha ‘o ko‘u inoa ‘o Keawemauhili I‘olanikealoha Navas-Loa ko‘u inoa
piha. Makemake au e kōkua e ne‘e ika Hokele ma Keauhou a makemake au e a‘o inā hana ‘o nā
kūpuna i hana ai. Aloha. My name is Keawemauhili I‘olanikealoha Navas-Loa. I am in support of
4
EXHIBIT A
removing the Keauhou Beach Hotel because my ancestors are from Kahalu‘u and I want to
experience and learn more of Kahalu‘u and the area of our kūpuna and what they have done over
there. Mahalo, Keawe Navas-Loa, ten years old, Ke Kula ‘o ‘Ehunuikaimalino.
My last testimony will be from Kukulukumuhana O Hōnaunau. I represent Kukulukumuhana O
Hōnaunau. This special program started over 25 years ago at Waipi‘o Valley, Keaukaha and Ka‘ū by
a group of talented and gifted college students who had a plan to reconnect our keiki with their rich
cultural heritage, and learn about the ahupua‘a that they come from. My mentor and kumu was one
of the original founders of this program. Her name is Keolalani Hanoa. This coming summer will be
my tenth year of successfully having this program at Hōnaunau. Over the years I have worked
closely with Kamehameha Schools, Jason Jeremiah and Malia Kipapa for ongoing projects we have
for our keiki and community. We also had the opportunity to visit Kahalu‘u and participate in
learning about Kahalu‘u’s history and removing tilapia from the Royal Ponds. Kukulukumuhana O
Hōnaunau is in full support for the removal of the Keauhou Beach Hotel. We look forward to the
restoration of the Kapuanoni Heiau and the development of the new cultural facility for all to come
and learn and get educated about this special area. Mahalo nui loa, Leinani Navas-Loa,
Kukulukumuhana O Hōnaunau, Kumu and Education Coordinator. Mahalo.
KAULIA: ‘O Peter Kaulia, ke kāne, ‘O Flora Mayoga, ka wahine, Noho pū lāua a hānau ‘ia ‘O
David Kaulia, he kāne. ‘O David Alapa‘i, ke kāne, ‘O Josephine Hulihe‘e, he wahine, Noho pū lāua
a hānau ‘ia ‘O Cindy, he wahine. ‘O David Kaulia, ke kāne, ‘O Cindy Alapa‘i, ka wahine, Noho pū
lāua a hānau ‘ia wau ‘O Alapa‘i, he kāne. Mai ka puka ‘ana a ka lā ma Kuki’i a i ka napo‘o ‘ana a ka
lā ma ka pinānā ‘o Hāpaiali‘i. Welina mai, ‘O wau no Alapa‘i Kaulia.
I am here today in support for the permitting process for KS to receive a Special Management Area
Use Permit for Kahalu‘u Ma Kai. My first twelve years of life as a child, I was raised in this very
ahupua‘a of Kahalu‘u, and lived right across the street from Kahalu‘u Beach Park. I remember as a
child frequently visiting the area of the Kahalu‘u Ma Kai. I remember seeing a bunch of rocks
stacked in piles here and there and seeing a bunch of rocks in a bunch of bushes. I also remember
swimming near petroglyphs that I stumbled upon on the lava rocks that I felt I had a connection, too.
I did not understand what these areas were, but growing up I was continuously reminded to respect
the area and not to enter or remove anything from the area. I didn’t really understand what it was or
why we had any respect for it.
Now that Kamehameha Schools had taken the initiative to bring life and culture back to this place, I
now understand the things that were instilled in me from keiki time. I was able to join four of the
many KS programs that take place on site. I am so happy to have a free environment open to cultural
learning and full of cultural history. Some of the many, many things that I learned was the important
people that lived in this area and the functions of the many heiau on site. For example,
Lonoikamakahiki used to live here, Keauhou and Kahalu‘u are names of people. We learn how to
follow the shifting of the sun and where the waters of Kāne come from. Last but not least I leaned of
my family connection to this ‘āina and was able to work and meet with Kupuna Kalani.
I believe that the shoreline public access plan that is in place at this time is more than sufficient. I
believe that those that do not understand the significance of cultural protocols of the area should not
be granted access into the many heiaus that are on site. Being able to be on the property I have seen
5
EXHIBIT A
firsthand the desecration of our sacred heiaus. In one day we had two different people climbing on
top of the heiau and 146 kids informing them to get off. If the kids come here to learn protocol and
history, and me as well, of this area, I think it’s only right for the public to understand protocol and
history as well.
An opponent to the SMA stated the following: “That rich history is very much an asset, but not just
an asset of Kamehameha Schools; it’s an asset for everyone. And for that reason I think everyone
should be allowed reasonable access. It definitely worries me that the school zone cutting off access
completely.” I agree that it is an asset for everyone, but it is KS who is taking stewardship of this
area. As Kā‘eo Duarte has already stated, “KS has not and will not prevent any lawful makai-mauka
or lateral public access along the public areas of shoreline.” In other words the school zone will not
cut off access to the shoreline. KS proposes a balanced approach to public access that will uphold the
rights of Hawaiian practitioners and learners to engage in cultural education and activities, while
allowing lawful access to the shoreline. I hope you make the decision to allow us to continue
practicing our culture by granting the SMA and allowing KS to move forward in the process. I am in
full support of removing the hotel. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo.
OKUMURA: Aloha mai kākou. My name is Cathy Okumura. I live in Kailua-Kona, and I am the
Unit Manager of Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center in Kona. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop
and Queen Lili‘uokalani both had the wisdom and foresight of the needs of the Hawaiian people. Not
just in their present time, but for the future of each succeeding generation. They are ‘ohana to one
another and both continue to lead through their will and legacy.
I formally and strongly am in support of Kamehameha Schools’ effort to re-establish Kahalu‘u Ma
Kai as an educational hub for co-learning amongst, not just Kamehameha Schools students, but for all
haumāna, cultural practitioners, educators and visitors. Advocacy for this project means advocacy
for our future, our future leaders, and is an investment towards building a community that is healthy
and thriving.
The land plan that Kamehameha Schools has set forth for Kahalu‘u Ma Kai is but a building block
towards limitless capacity building of our future. The real work starts with our children, work that
must be done with utmost care, for our kids are precious. We, as a community, must uphold the
integrity in which the work is done and ensure the safety of all those that come. Though I understand
shoreline public access is important, must that convenience impede upon the safety of our keiki? I
trust that the managed access plan that has been proposed adequately addresses the needs of our
schools, children and visitors alike. It is also deliberate and intentional so that there is protection and
respect for the cultural sites. It is an opportunity for visitors to be more than just passersby, but to
gain knowledge and understanding of the strength and will of the Hawaiian people. All too often the
cultural and natural resources of Hawai‘i have taken a back seat to tourism.
I look forward to the innovative design and plans for Kahalu‘u Ma Kai, to seeing our community
flourish with each passing generation. Hawai‘i is more than just a beach upon which to sunbathe and
an ocean in which to snorkel. It is the future of our leaders. Mahalo.
6
EXHIBIT A
UNGER: Mahalo. Alapa‘i Kaulia --.
KAULIA: I o‘u.
UNGER: ‘Ē, aloha.
KAULIA: Aloha. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo. Pomai Bertelmann and Chadd Paishon.
P. BERTELMANN: (Inaudible – greeting the audience in Hawaiian.)
UNGER: Aloha. Please state your name and where you reside.
P. BERTELMANN: Aloha nō. My name is Pomai Bertelmann and I reside in Waimea in Kohala. I
am a teacher at Kanu o Ka ‘Āina Charter School, have been there for 15 years. I am also the program
director of project, coordinator for Kūlia I Ka Pono Program, a community-based project between Nā
Kālai Wa‘a and Kamehameha Schools for nine years now. I come to you today with my own
personal story of Kahalu‘u, Kona. My students and I have been coming to Kona for the last number
of years, specifically to Kahalu‘u, working with the ‘ohana, genealogical and lineal descendants of
the area, as well as those who have been put in place by Kamehameha, as a facilitator or the vessel by
which to facilitate kūpuna who have gone on before, by which to facilitate with those who are still
here and present, so that the true essence of the space, or the essence of the space can be revealed
once again. And it has been our students, and many, many others, who have been able to spend time
and become kama‘āina and familiar to the space because of our time there. There was a particular,
two particular visits; we were, we requested permission to go through one area, the Lonoikamakahiki
residence, and what was pretty amazing about that was the students were amazed that because
through the story of Lonoikamakahiki and the Battle of Hōkū‘ula we were able to make a connection
to Kona. What was also amazing for them was that there was a swimming pool sitting on the
residence. On another time we were taken by our makua who took us through to the Kapuanoni
Heiau site, and to our students it was amazing that they, that the wall, or one wall of the boundary of
the heiau, was another swimming pool sitting on it. So it is my personal and the support of our
school, Kanu o Ka ‘Āina, to be able to say that our students, our children, of Hawai‘i have the
inherent right to be able to learn and to grow in a place with the vision that Kamehameha Schools has
right now that they are looking to institute and to put together. They have the inherent right to be
able to learn from a place where all barriers and all boundaries will be open again so that the essence
and the flow of energy and spirit that our kūpuna had envisioned years and years ago will be
available and accessible again. Mahalo nui.
UNGER: Mahalo.
PAISHON: Aloha mai kākou. My name is Chadd Paishon. I’m from Waimea also, the District of
Kohala. I come to you really on behalf of our voyaging organization here on Hawai‘i Island, namely
Na Kālai Wa‘a Moku O Keawe, and as one of the navigators of our voyaging canoes here in Hawai‘i.
It’s definitely in the sense that for me in this site has continued to be the one that continues to allow
the next generation to understand the great knowledge that our kūpuna held, that the practices of what
7
EXHIBIT A
they did still connect to us in this modern day and time; it’s just not something of the past but it is
currently something that is very much of our present day and of our future. And it’s in the sense that
for me in the sense of a voyaging canoe that everyone who comes to our canoe is welcomed, but it is
also in the sense that everyone who comes to our canoe comes to the canoe in a certain direction, that
they come to the canoe so that they can understand the importance of what they are standing upon.
So in the sense that when they leave, they have a greater appreciation for what the canoe is connected
to not just to our past, not just to stories, but how currently it is involved within our community and,
as stated before, throughout the world right now where our canoes are traveling. It’s also in the sense
that this site can continue to do the same thing for those who will enter into the grounds and directed
in a way that through education they can also understand the importance of the area and appreciate it,
understand that they can be a part of the growth and of the continued understanding of the greatness
of our culture and our society. So it’s really in the sense that we continue to add our support to
Kamehameha Schools and the project that they have. Mahalo nui.
UNGER: Mahalo. You may be seated. Craig Akina, Dale Fergerstrom, Milton Bertelmann. Please
state your name and where you reside. Go ahead, Dale.
FERGERSTROM: I’m Dale Fergerstrom. I live in Ahupua‘a of Kalamakumu in the area of Captain
Cook. I’m here on behalf of the Nakoa Foundation, which is a very small non-profit that runs a
ththth
one-year educational program that kids come and stay with us for a year, involving 7, 8 and 9
graders, and our focus is on the single outrigger sailing canoes. We have 20- to 28-foot sailing
canoes and we, Kamehameha Schools has allowed us to use two sites: one at Kailiilinehe, which is
the small beach park at the head of Keauhou Bay, and at Kahalu‘u where the project is now proposed
for. We launch our canoes out of Kailiilinehe. And what we have found just for within the last, I
mean, proud of our program, what we found was a lot of times because there is unrestricted access to
Kailiilinehe, many of our activities have been interrupted; within the last month we’ve had an
intoxicated man come up and solicit money from our students; we’ve had a confused visitor walk
right through our discussion circle, asking directions to go to Fairwinds. But when we go to
Kahalu‘u where we repair and maintain our canoes and do more of our cultural training with our kids,
we do not have those interruptions, we do not have those issues. So I believe that having the type of,
and right now there is public access, right now, it’s controlled but it is protected at Kahalu‘u. And
what we really appreciate about the Kahalu‘u site is that we can do our cultural things without being
spectacle or inconvenience to the public. And we can do our stuff without being interrupted by, not
mean people, just people who don’t understand what we are trying to accomplish. So I really hope
that you folks approve this project because it gives our type of program a place to be and there is not
too many places where we can do that with what we are doing. Thank you very much.
UNGER: Mahalo.
M. BERTELMANN: My name is Milton Bertelmann. I’m from Waimea, Kawaihae area. I am here
today to stand in support of this project. I am from the organization Na Kālai Wa‘a, which is the
voyaging canoe Makali‘i. And onboard we provide, try to provide another alternate dimension to
cultural education and that is voyaging and using this very kind of lost art brought back to life of
celestial navigation, is to go without instruments. Very fortunate to say that I’m a student of a great
master who is by now he passed away; he was with us for a long time, and most of us, all of us
probably know who he is, Mau Piailug, and meeting this man really, really changed our views about
8
EXHIBIT A
what voyaging could be and how it could be rediscovered from the past. Here is a man that in his
own rite still hung on to the original values and the integrities of sacred arts. And through his
knowledge and experience with him we try to, we try to provide that kind of opportunities for
children on our canoe. One of the things that was surprising way back in the day in early 70’s, is to
even think about the thought that there is still such a man alive, or a person alive that still does that.
And indeed he was alive, and we were able to take advantage of that art. I think we have the same
thing here at Kahalu‘u. We are here and through the essence of time this site is still available; it is
here for us to do whatever potential there is to go and explore. And so I’m in support of this project,
and I hope that, whatever we do today, that we can try to continue this effort to provide stewardship
to this site. Hōkūle‘a is around the world right now to a global voyage. One of its main missions is
to explore world heritage sites. And even us as people, as we go to these sites, we see the value of
the stewardship, we see the value of how throughout time the value of the site is usually measured
through the test of time and survive throughout time, and the quality of the site really is how well the
stewardship has brought it this far. And so where we see where stewardship fell away, sometimes
you lose the essence and the, serve the true value of what that is; and where the stewardship was alive
and healthy and well, it’s awesome. I think we can transfer the idea to this area here, that we still
have this site and it’s still not something that will fade away. So this shift from resort to cultural,
cultural entity, and to education, I stand in behalf of support for this project. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo. Bo Kahui, Joseph Spencer, Alaina Craig.
SPENCER: Aloha. Aloha kakahiaka. My name is Joseph K. Spencer, III. And before I present my
personal testimony on this subject, I’d like to just give you some background of how it would, how
this testimony came about. I am a member of a Hawaiian, cooperating Hawaiian institution that was
allowed the privilege to participate in the education program at Kahalu‘u Ma Kai, namely the Royal
Order of Kamehameha. Although the Royal Order of Kamehameha has previously presented its
testimony, I will let it stand. My comments are totally personal, but it’s because of our experience in
the program, with Na ‘Ōpio and the vast positive response that we have from both teachers and
students alike. This is my testimony:
Aloha, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Hawai‘i County Planning Commission. I am Joseph K.
Spencer, III, a resident of Kailua-Kona. I submit the following testimony in favor of SMA
Application 15-060. The cultural landscape of Kahalu‘u Ma Kai will be restored to a Hawaiian place
in which opportunities for applied learning, teaching, and knowledge are rooted in tradition while
advancing learners and the lāhui toward innovation, leadership and a sustainable future. The
conceptual plan shared with the community early on remains the same. It is both appropriate and
coincides with the wishes of its benefactor, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Appropriate because it
promotes the proper protocols for an educational environment. It focuses on educating our children.
Appropriate also because it provides managed access for the broader community. This includes
access to the shoreline, as well as the cultural assets of the lands. A managed access is integral to
maintaining and preserving these assets, ensuring stewardship of these resources for future
generations. For these and other good reasons iterated in testimony elsewhere, I urge the
Commission to approve the application before you in this matter. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo.
9
EXHIBIT A
KAHUI: Aloha, Commissioners. Aloha kākou. My name is Bo Kahui. I serve as the executive
director for LaʻiʻŌpua 2020, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Our mission is to build community
facilities and provide social, educational, recreational, cultural programs here in the Ahupua‘a of
Kealakehe and Keahuolu. In addition I serve as director for the Villages of LaʻiʻŌpua Homestead
Association, which currently comprised of about 275 units, close to about 900 members.
I want to first start by saying that on behalf of our association and our non-profit corporation, we
support Kamehameha Schools for the planned, for this particular educational center. We believe that
we need to look at our future, what it means to protect our knowledge, how do we exercise that now,
how do we express the kupuna knowledge, and where do we do it, and how has that been transformed
not necessarily in a classroom setting but in a setting that’s more natural, more meaningful, more
enlightened. My good friend George Helm says, “You cannot practice your culture in a glass case.”
My kupuna Uncle Harry Mitchell, a taro farmer out of Ke‘anae, Maui, you know, had a deep
relationship with the land, and everything he did was knowledge-based. We miss the knowledge.
We have lost a lot of our kūpuna who carry this knowledge with them. This center is important so
that we can begin to express that now and begin to share the knowledge with our ‘ōpio, with our
keikies so that they can take the knowledge on. I think Kamehameha Schools has a protected interest
in this particular project, you know, both in its mission and the protection of our cultural resources.
When we look at the case law PASH, we have an inherent right to protect these resources. And when
I look at PASH again and I look at how the plan is being devised, we ought to take serious how we
protect these cultural resources like the heiau and what kind of access and limitations we give that.
And I think we support Kamehameha Schools because they thought hard about this particular
component, you know. Our high schools, our public schools, they don’t have unrestricted access.
How come our cultural center has to have unrestricted access? We’ve got to ask ourselves: Is our
cultural center as important as our public school? And is so, maybe we should look at it then that
way, because we begin to protect those things that are important to the very fabric of our being, the
very fabric of our native identity. If we cannot protect that, if we cannot exercise that, then we no
longer become Hawaiian, just become another public school. Okay? So with that said, mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo.
CRAIG: Aloha. My name is Alaina Craig. I live in the Ahupua‘a of Kalamakumu in Captain Cook.
And I come here today as a student of the Na ‘Ōpio program in support of this project. As a
participant in the program, I have been lucky enough to learn and experience a lot of things at
Kahalu‘u. And I only hope that the students following our footsteps and who may join the program
next year and the years following, could experience the things that we have and much more. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo. Thank you. Kalani Nakoa, Kalani Hamm, Tava Taupu.
T. TAUPU: Aloha. My name Tava, sorry, but Teikivaeohu, but they call me Tava. But I’m giving
my space to my wife, Cheryl Taupu. Mahalo.
C. TAUPU: Kala mai for the change.
UNGER: Aloha. No problem.
10
EXHIBIT A
C. TAUPU: Okay. My name is Cheryl Grace Taupu. Like Tava said, I’m his wife. We thank you
for giving us this opportunity to testify in support of Kamehameha Schools’ Kahalu‘u Ma Kai
project. My husband Tava is a cultural practitioner. His expertise is in Polynesian sailing, and he is a
master carver of canoes and ki‘i. He is the master at the project now. You see two of his work
standing there. Tava’s whole thing is passing the knowledge. We support this project because in the
end we will have children coming in in safety where he can, or one of his apprentices can, teach them
the knowledge. So we strongly believe in and support Kamehameha Schools’ proposal for Kahalu‘u
Ma Kai in its entirety. This plan includes adequate public access and management, ensures the
valuable cultural resources are cared for and the safety of our children who will be learning on the
site. We humbly ask that you the Planning Commission support the recommitment of Kahalu‘u Ma
Kai as a cultural educational center for Hawai‘i Island in its entirety. Mahalo for the opportunity.
UNGER: Mahalo.
HAMM: Aloha. My name is Kalani Kahulamu Hamm. And we support Kamehameha Schools’
vision for Kahalu‘u Ma Kai. It will benefit learners of all ages and background. It also allows the
international community to participate in the cultural exchange. Just recently we had a Resident
Chief Priest, Reverent Yoshida, of the Shinto Shrine of Japan, participating in a ceremony here along
with his members, did an exchange of chants. Unbelievable experiences, just watching them and
their faces on Hāpaiali‘i. Watching the sunset off the, in the west, because in Japan it just rises in the
east, they don’t see the sunset. So when he was on Hāpaiali‘i that experience that he experienced was
unbelievable. I’d like to see Kahalu‘u Ma Kai restored to the place of intellectual engagement for our
community and all Hawai‘i. Kamehameha Schools host numerous meetings to provide updates and
all this Kahalu‘u Ma Kai vision. Based on Kamehameha Schools’ transpiring behavior and statement
provided in their Special Management Area Use Permit application, SMA, I trust that Kamehameha
Schools will remove the hotel and redevelop Kahalu‘u Ma Kai with utmost care and respect for the
surrounding environment and cultural resources. I also support the specific plan Kamehameha
Schools has developed to manage public access through the property and along the shoreline.
Kahalu‘u Ma Kai property requires that we look at shoreline access from a different perspective. It is
in this outdoor environment that our learners are able to participate their science, technology,
engineering and arts, etc. And the future presence of a large number of school children, like we just
had, the winter break about 130 young students on the site, on the property, has developed a plan, so
Kamehameha Schools has developed a plan regarding walkthrough traffic. I ask the Hawai‘i County
Leeward Planning Commission to approve Kamehameha Schools’ application for the SMA permit to
remove the former Keauhou Beach Hotel and redevelop an educational facility and Kamehameha’s
plan for a specific public access path to the shoreline, which will be to the border of the facility. This
access is also important to preserve the natural resources and ecosystem that are restored to the area.
Thank you so much.
NAKOA: Aloha gentlemen. Mahalo for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Walter
Kaleo‘okalani Nakoa. I live in the Ahupua‘a of Hōlualoa. My mother is Kilauea Marciel; her mother
is Cecilia Trask; her mother is Anne Kaili Travis. Our koko goes to the vicinity of Kealakekua, pre-
western contact. But as I said, I live in Hōlualoa Ahupua‘a today.
Thank you for the opportunity, again, to be here. I wear a couple of different hats here in the
community. I am a kumu for the Na Pe‘a program, which presently is a privileged and blessed to be
11
EXHIBIT A
able to use the facilities that we are in discussion about today. Kamehameha Schools has been very
generous and their foresight is very well respected in our organization. So we hope that you folks
will support them and the vision that they have for the removal of the hotel. As a kālai wa‘a of the
Hawaiian sailing canoe, Wa‘a Kinikini, I move up and down the coastline on a daily basis, or the
black and yellow double-hull with the red sail that frequents the coastline here in West Hawai‘i. As
we pass through the Kahalu‘u Ahupua‘a, the efforts over the last decade or so do not go unnoticed,
and the cultural landscape in return to not only a visual impact but an emotional and many times
intellectual impact is enormous. As a sailor moving up and down the coast, and seeing the progress
being made in the ahupua‘a, I’d like to report to you folks that things are going well. And we hope
that you will support continued efforts to return the area to the cultural landscape that it could be.
And it’s up to you distinguished members of this board to make the decision, so please do that.
Finally, I would like to say, representing myself personally, that the wahi pana on site should be, I
feel, should be respected, and the decisions with regards to access to those wahi pana should be in the
leadership of the lineal descendants of the ahupua‘a, as well as, you know, the leadership and the
cultural practices for the site. The opportunity here is very much appreciated, and I hope you guys
will support Kamehameha Schools. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo. Sarah Puna Kihoi, Jim \[sic\] Hutchison, Karen \[sic\] Ventura.
HUTCHISON: Aloha everyone. My name is Vino Hutchison from the Ke Kama Pono program.
Through them I’ve worked with Uncle Mahealani down makai on the hill, and that’s an experience
that I feel in my heart and it’s, working with him is giving me knowledge and it’s helping me
understand the necessities of protocol and what it, where our ancestors came from. And I think if
Kamehameha Schools is trying to give an opportunity to the public to learn deeper knowledge, I think
that’s a great opportunity, and I support them with that. But I also think that there should be some
sort of respect from the public to keep things going, keep things good, you know. So thank you for
listening. Thank you for letting me speak. Mahalo.
VENTURA: Aloha. My name is Kanen Ventura and I’m a participant in the Ke Kama Pono, a
family intervention program. I’m a student learner of Kia‘i ‘Āina Kualoloa, a cultural environmental
stewardship program, and also Hui Kaha Pōhaku, a program that surveys and map the historic and
archaeological landscape. I’m here to voice my strong support for Kamehameha Schools’ effort to
remove the last remnants of the property’s resort use and recommit the future of Kahalu‘u Ma Kai as
a cultural education hub for Hawai‘i Island. The cultural resources located at Kahalu‘u Ma Kai are
related to permanent figures in Hawaiian history and played a significant role in pre-contact
Hawai‘i’s social political landscape. Because of this, along with the adoptive reuse of these cultural
sites for cultural education purposes, I encourage you to support the proposed public and managed
access plan as submitted by Kamehameha Schools, as it ensures that the cultural and historic integrity
of those resources are maintained. I believe Kamehameha Schools has balanced the need for
shoreline access against the need to protect valued historic resources and the safety of children who
will be learning on site. I support the Kahalu‘u Ma Kai project and feel that it will foster a sense of
place for all members of our community through cultural education ‘āina-based learning and
community engagement. It will serve as a twenty-first century facility for learning and provide a
bridge between cultural practitioners, the academic world and the community. Kahalu‘u Ma Kai
embodies a fundamental shift toward a learning and experimental destination that will have a positive
12
EXHIBIT A
impact on the social, economic, cultural education and environmental aspects of our community, and
connect Hawai‘i’s people to the rich cultural, historical and natural resources present on the property.
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to submit testimony. Kanen. Mahalo.
KIHOI: Aloha. My name? Puna Kihoi. At the moment I reside in Hōnaunau in Kona Hema and
also in South Kohala in Waimea. So it’s good to be in the mauka makai area, as our natives always
says mauka makai. So at this time I am in support of Kamehameha’s Kahalu‘u Ma Kai project
because, listening to all the testimony it’s just so obvious of the benefits that Kamehameha has done
for our community and for all of us. So just looking at the project at this time, and all the wahi pana
in one area, it’s, I look at it as an opportunity for us because at this time it will be a moment of
intergenerational where the generations come back together again, which is what is lacking in our
community with kūpuna and ‘ōpio. I was just with 15 kūpuna yesterday and we talked about this,
and they are in full support of this because they know we need this in Kona, a place where we can
share our mana‘o. So I come not only for, I work with the community over 40 years with ‘ōpio in
projects, in community cultural educational projects, and I bring that with me to the table and also
with the kūpuna as coming together. I see it as you, as an opportunity for all of us, but especially you
at this time because as an artist you can paint a picture of what we want to see for our keiki. It’s not
about us, it’s not about me or you; it’s about the future of our keiki, of what we want to see for them
as a beautiful place for them to come to and they can actually share and ask. Because I remember a
kupuna had asked me as a youngster and he said, “When does your mana‘o turn to mana?” They
need the opportunity to develop the mana. And I see this as a place where they can come together
and share this mana‘o. We need a gathering place. We need a place where people can come and we
can share our culture, and we need protection for our wahi pana. This place is like no other; it
doesn’t fit into the square. So it’s an opportunity for us to look at this place as a wahi pana, a sacred
place that doesn’t feel like any other place. If it has four wahi pana, you know there is more, because
there was a whole community that lived there, a whole life. And there is more to be uncovered. So
we need to protect that. So I’m really for supporting this program, the project, and for maintaining
access in a way that they can go to our kiosk and get the information, not hang out there in a heiau,
because when people come from the mainland, they look at pōhaku different than we do; there is a
life in a pōhaku, and they don’t see that, they’ll go on the heiau and they think it’s just a pile of rocks.
No, this is our history from thousands of years back, not hundreds of years but thousands of years.
So all I’m saying is respect our kūpuna that are there and have been there from before and our keiki
that will be there for the future. And you have the opportunity to paint this picture in a healing place,
to take that paintbrush and paint a beautiful place, to build a bridge not a wall. So I see you as
building a bridge, not a wall, okay? So take that upon yourselves to think about that and listen to
your own kūpuna because all of you’ve got kūpuna. I was with them yesterday. They’ve got
mana‘o. So, you know, if you are not sure, ask your kūpuna. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo. Jacqueline Van Blarcom, No‘el Tagab-Cruz, Ryan McCormack.
VAN BLARCOM: Aloha. May name is Jacqueline Van Blarcom. I reside in Pāpa‘ikou in Hilo, and
I am employed at Hawai‘i Community College under the Ha'akūmalae Cultural Protocols Program. I
worked with this program over eight years. Uncle Mahealani is my hula brother. And Kahalu‘u
itself has many, many memories for me. The Protocols Program that we facilitate on campus helps to
allow for the exchange not only of our faculty staff and students but our community, our families, not
only here but from across and around the world. These communities come to exchange with us on
13
EXHIBIT A
Hawai‘i Island for reason; Hawai‘i has something that speaks to many and resonates within many. It
obviously resonates within myself and my family and where I work. Our program allows for us to
make connections not only through the system but from our own familial connections to these places,
and allows the access of intellectual and spiritual exchange on many levels. Hāpaiali‘i itself has
provided the platform for us to begin processes and begin new traditions as well as maintain old
traditions. Our culture evolves just like all of our environments and our force evolve with what
happens. We as a people, we as a culture, evolve to allow for us to grow and to foresee and to build
and to reach our potentials. Without having the spaces to do so and not having the space to allow
these exchanges limits our own experiences. I also come to the table as a mother. I have three
children of my own. I have visited Hāpaiali‘i in numerous occasions, for hula, for protocols, for
ritual, for the exchange with international peoples as well as our own peoples here from Hawai‘i. All
of my children have experienced Hāpaiali‘i, from in the womb until more recently my son, who is
now ten, being in ceremony on Hāpaiali‘i. He is living it. He is creating his own memories, and as
my, as all of us who experience those things. I would like to see Hāpaiali‘i, Kahalu‘u, maintained so
that we have and can allow for these exchanges to occur in the future, and so that my son, ten, twenty
years from now, my daughter who has only experienced it in the womb, can participate and bring
their own families and friends and communities to this space and to share in that exchange as well.
Mahalo.
TAGAB-CRUZ: Aloha. Aloha, kala mai no ke kua \[to the audience.\] Aloha. My name is Noél
Tagab-Cruz. I live in Hilo. Like Jacqueline said, I work for Hawai‘i Community College under I Ola
Hāloa. And every year for the past couple of years we’ve had a ceremony at Hāpaiali‘i, called
Māmoe. This is the culminating event for our graduates in our program. What we do is we are
celebrating the end of one journey and the beginning of another one on Hāpaiali‘i. And while we do
have a formal, or a university, graduation, the importance of Māmoe is that they celebrate their
culmination in a native Hawaiian sense. You learn on this land, you are here for a certain number of
years, learning from our college, why wouldn’t we have a graduation ceremony on this land that has
nurtured our learners? And it’s a celebration for our learners, for the families, for our community,
because as all of us know, it takes a community. And some of you may ask why is Hilo in the house?
Why not? Because what affects people here affects us in Hilo. And, gentlemen, you have an
awesome chance to show the community in Kona, in Hilo, around the world that protocols and
education and indigenal lifeways are important. So mahalo for this opportunity. Ola Kahalu‘u.
McCORMACK: Aloha mai kākou. Kala mai a‘u ke kua \[to the audience.\] I’m Ryan McCormack. I
come from the Ahupua‘a of Waikahekahenui in Puna on this island. I am currently an instructor in
the Hawai‘i Life Styles Department at Hawai‘i Community College at Hilo, also the coordinator of
First-Year Experience programs there. And I’m also a kumu hula and a Hawaiian culture
practitioner. Also as a former educator at Kua O Ka La Hawaiian Charter School, we also brought
students to the complex down in Kahalu‘u. And so I can definitely speak to the educational value of
the place. The genealogical, ecological, historical resources of Hāpaiali‘i have well been advocated
already, and I just want to echo the thoughts of everybody else who has already come before in the
regard. But as has been alluded to by my colleagues, we have used the space, we have been hosted
by the Kahalu‘u ‘ohana in the space, at a ceremonial space. And as has been mentioned, this place is
a wahi pana, which in our language, you know, the word “pana” has to do with significance, it also
has to do with the pulse; to us the place is alive. But pana also means a rhythm. So to me wahi pana
is a place that brings us back into a rhythm, individually, collectively, and unites our rhythm with that
14
EXHIBIT A
of the rhythm of the environment, of the entire planet. And as you know, the uprights on Hāpaiali‘i
Heiau help us to observe the rhythm and bring ourselves into rhythm with that, because they show the
transition of the sun and its solar pathway as well as the movements of the stars and other celestial
bodies. In a mythic sense those things not only describe the external rotations but also the internal
space and the cycles that we go through between balancing our conscious and our unconscious
stresses. So ceremonies for us at Hāpaiali‘i allow us the time to focus on how are we incorporating
our unconscious realm into our lives, how are we listening to our ancestors, how are we listening to
our dreams, how are we listening to all those unconscious sources of wisdom, which in my Hawaiian
perspective are just as important as all the rational empirical ones. And so really it’s a worldview
that’s at stake here, in addition to what everybody has said. And in order for the space to cultivate
the kind of understanding, it needs to be demarcated as special. I come from O‘ahu, and it’s really
hard to have the sort of introspective opportunity when you are surrounded by other people who are
not also in the same frequency. So keeping of the space as sacred, as special, what’s at stake there is
really our own ability to move forward into the future with the use of those parts of ourselves,
individually, collectively, and that goes across culture and ethnicity. Like Aunty Kalani said, we just
recently hosted some practitioners from Japan, and to sit on the heiau and to know that both of our
traditions each thousands of years old can converge around the single image of the setting sun at the
place, and only at the place, was very, very powerful. So thank you very much for the time today.
UNGER: Mahalo. At this time I’d like to call a ten-minute recess. Thank you.
RECESSED The Chair called a recess at 10:45 a.m.
RECONVENED The meeting reconvened at 10:55 a.m.
UNGER: U‘i, Karley Rose, Gail Souza Save. Please state your name and where you reside.
MORANTE: Aloha. My name is U‘i and I live in Puna.
ROSE: Aloha. I’m Karley Rose and I’m from Puna.
UNGER: You can begin your testimony.
ROSE: I am here in support for the educational hub to be built. I think the educational hub will be a
big help in helping perpetuate the culture because when you have a place to practice your culture and
values, you’ll then realize how important it is to know about yours and others’ cultures. Thank you.
UNGER: Thank you.
MORANTE: So going off of what she said, basically what I’m going to be saying is that without a
place, we can’t practice our values, and without our values, we don’t have our culture, and without
our culture, we don’t know who we are. So who are we? Our identity will be lost, if we don’t have
our culture and our places and our values. Thank you.
SOUZA SAVE: Aloha kākou. My name is Gail Keaoililani Souza Save and I live in Kalaoa in
Kona. I’ve been a social worker for over 35 years working with families and children and for the last
15
EXHIBIT A
25 with Queen Lili‘uokalani Children Center. I’m here today, and I invited some of the ‘ohana
caregivers I work with, or grandparents raising their grandchildren because their parents cannot, and
we all are very much interested in the perpetuation and the preservation of our Hawaiian culture. I’m
speaking on behalf of my ancestors, the Aius, the Springers and the Kaomea ‘ohana. I am also
representing my offspring who will hopefully carry forth the light of cultural knowledge and
understanding into the future. My mother Mary Josephine Springer and my father David Souza of
‘Ewa Plantation are my parents, and my grandmother Mary Aiu grew up in Kailua-Kona. My
grandmother married Malcom Springer from Massachusetts. My great-grandfather is Thomas Aiu
and he married my great-grandmother Josephine Annie of the Kaomea ‘ohana. She was born in
Kahalu‘u on the land fronting the present site of Saint Peter’s Catholic Church. Great-grandmother
Josephine allowed the Catholic Church to use the Kahalu‘u property for the site of Saint Peter’s
Church services when it was moved from La‘aloa. Great-grandfather Thomas Aiu was a devout
Catholic, and Grandmother Josephine converted to Catholicism when she married him. My
great-grandmother Josephine Kaomea Aiu also signed the petition against annexation of Hawai‘i to
the United States of America. She was very strong in her cultural belief and practices. Keauhou is a
sacred area rich with historical heiau and many yet uncovered cultural offerings that will present
themselves to the students, young and old, who will participate in the learning. I support the removal
of the Keauhou Outrigger Hotel and the redevelopment with care of the visible cultural sites and
artifacts and those yet to appear. Keauhou has a strong spiritual history, so respect and care must be
taken in the restoration of heiau and cultural sites. Speaking on my ancestors’ behalf is a great
kuleana; not speaking up would be a greater disrespect of them. I asked my ‘ohana’s special
presence guide me and touch your hearts, na‘au, and mind with the renewed sense of commitment,
understanding and respect for the cultural and spiritual presence, which may continue to be shared
with the ‘ōpio, mākua and kūpuna for many generations. Please use your whole being to embrace the
full nature of this project. Policies and former practices may stifle the understanding of the creativity
and true essence of this proposal. You Commissioners and planners have a tremendous kuleana in
the formation of this enriching project. I appeal to you and your ancestors to embrace the magnitude
of Kahalu‘u Ma Kai with cultural and spiritual sensitivity and a greater acceptance of what is seen
and unseen. Mahalo for your attention, using your hearts and your minds. Aloha.
UNGER: Aloha. Mahalo. Lokelani Brandt, Kalahoohie Mossman, Kamuela Plunkett.
PLUNKETT: Aloha. I’m Kamuela Plunkett. Sorry. Aloha. I am Kamuela Plunkett from Waimea
in the District of South Kohala. We thank you for your time. I’m a graduate student at UH Hilo in
the Heritage Management Program. But I represent myself and my opinions. You know, in my
studies we, I specifically study landscape and the interaction between landscape and man, and what
derives out of the interaction is culture, yeah? And so spaces are important for how cultures are
created but also how cultures are perpetuated. I’m in support of this project and I’m in support of the
adjustments they need to make in access. You know, an example of what I’m talking about is this is
a picture of my own huaka‘i in my own lands, walking along the King’s Trail and doing my own
personal research. And as I’m walking along the King’s Trail, I want to access the shore, and I come
across this gate. It’s for the Mauna Lani Bay Resort – sorry, let me look, couldn’t zoom in – but
that’s the entrance to the Mauna Lani Beach Club and below that it says “Members and resort guests”
and to the right of it on the side, it basically says no parking and for shoreline access walk around
until you get to the designated area. And the space is created for mostly golf, people participating in
golf, and on the golf field you’ve got people participating in culture. It’s a designated place; golf,
16
EXHIBIT A
you talk about business, recreation, it’s a place designated for the type of interaction. And I’m saying
if it’s okay for the space to exist, it’s definitely okay for this Kahalu‘u Ma Kai space to exist for
education, for culture perpetuation. And the members and the guests of the complexes are kids,
all of our kids; charter schools will be on the property, and that includes both Hawaiians and
non-Hawaiians. Those are the members and the guests of this complex. So I propose that, or I’m in
support of them receiving the Special Permit \[sic\]. And thank you for your time.
BRANDT: Hi. Aloha kākou. My name is Lokelani Brandt and I currently reside in the Ahupua‘a of
Waiākea in Hilo with my family and I have two keiki. I’m a teacher at the Hawai‘i Community
College Hawai‘i Life Styles Program. And I’m also a student in the Heritage Management Program
at UH Hilo and we are all classmates here. But I’m speaking on behalf of my ‘ohana as well here.
So I came here from Hilo today to voice my support for the Kahalu‘u Ma Kai project. What we are
witnessing here is a movement that will forward our collective understanding of the past as a way to
guide future planning and educational efforts on Hawai‘i Island. I advocate for this project because
for several generations kānaka maoli have had to develop knowledge of our past and ancestors within
the confines of western academic institutions. There are teachers in these institutions that believe in
the power of reconnecting the students to the ‘āina, and often took myself and others on huaka‘i, or
excursions, to cultural sites. Often times we visit these sites and they are reduced to rubble or just
near fragments of the past. So as students we are often left to imagine what this place once was, what
it looked like and how it functioned. Today I think Kahalu‘u Ma Kai embodies the intelligence of
our ancestors combined with the wisdom of our kānaka maoli today. Kahalu‘u has served as an
important place that brings together families, or from kūpuna all the way to keiki for very positive
purposes. And because of the work of so many dedicated individuals we no longer have to imagine
what these heiau looked like or how they functioned, because now they are up and they are working
and we can access these places and we can study and we can further our knowledge. So being that
this place will serve as a complex for learning for various ages, I want to ensure that we are cautious
about public accessibility primarily because of the safety of our keiki and for allowing the necessary
privacy needed by our practitioners to conduct ceremonies and protocols. And I feel that
Kamehameha Schools has adequately addressed this concern in their plan. A project of this sort is
highly appropriate and much needed in this day and age for both kānaka maoli and for Hawai‘i Island
community. I ask that you please support Kamehameha Schools and the Kahalu‘u Ma Kai project.
Mahalo for your time.
MOSSMAN: Aloha mai kākou āpau. My name is Kalahoohie Mossman. I’m an agent of the Edith
Kanaka‘ole Foundation, cultural practitioner, I’m an educator and a Master’s candidate at the
Heritage Management Program at UHH. I would like to humbly offer my perspective on the
proposed Kahalu‘u Ma Kai educational complex, and ask that you approve the Kamehameha Schools
SMA Permit application. This complex offers a very unique opportunity for native practitioners to
preserve and practice traditional protocol in a sacred place. This is important as it helps to foster the
identity within our living culture and helps to perpetuate our practices. This complex is unique in
that it is one of few temples erected below the high water mark. It is a shining example of the
ingenuity and accomplishment of our ancestors and it is a source of pride for our people today.
Because this site is so sacred to our people, it is important that we maintain a respectful buffer not
only to protect the physical manifestation of the site but also to respect the practitioners who utilize
the site today. Additionally, as an educator, I understand the need to create a safe environment for
the learners. I’ve had the opportunity to manage a fishpond in Hilo for 20 years. Maintaining a safe
17
EXHIBIT A
environment for our students is of utmost importance. Protecting our keiki from any possible threats
must be considered among the most important priorities, and as such must override any need for
public convenience. One must always be prepared for the worst case scenario when working with
children, and therefore we must consider this in the overall master planning of our educational
facilities. The Kamehameha Schools understands this and has carefully integrated safety into their
master plan for the Kahalu‘u Ma Kai educational complex. Allowing unfettered access through the
complex would cause an increased threat level for the students who utilize the site. As a Master
student in Heritage Management, Kahalu‘u Ma Kai also provides opportunity for research, and gives
us the opportunity to introduce children and young adults to our profession, as well as to the kuleana
that we are given as heritage management officers. This educational complex is unique and should
not be forced into a box that does not fit; current planning regulations may not fit this particular
development. From a heritage management perspective in an effort to preserve the sacred places we
must control access to this area just as it was maintained in the past; these areas were, and continue to
be, kapu. This is our responsibility as heritage managers to help maintain the sacredness. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo. Jill Vasconcellos, Shane Nelsen, Annette Honola \[sic\].
HONDA: Good morning. My name is Annette Honda.
UNGER: Honda.
HONDA: And I’m from Hōlualoa. I’m here as a private resident and also as a student, okay? I was
born and raised here in Kona, and it’s where I’ve seen the tremendous modern growth in Kona and it
sort of saddens me. But when I pass now where they are restoring Kahalu‘u, the area of Keauhou, it
reminds me of my past, my past ancestors and where my roots are from. Even if I am not a Hawaiian
descent, it still reminds me that there is a past and it’s, and I really support this happening. The other
part about being a student, I do support Kamehameha Schools in setting a – what is the word – setting
an area where there is access to the land but not the whole area, being that it is for the protection of
the students who participate in the program. Thank you.
VASCONCELLOS: Aloha. My name is Jill Vasconcellos and I work for Queen Lili‘uokalani
Children’s Center but I’m also here representing myself. And I would first of all like to say that I’m
in support of Kamehameha Schools’ plan to recommit the area for education and the managed access.
I would like to add that KS is moving forward in Bishop Estates and Bernice Pauahi’s mission to
educate children, but they are opening it up to every ethnicity, every culture, and not limiting it.
They are creating a safe environment and investing in each child that comes through that parcel of
land there for the future of every child, every ethnicity, every culture. So I ask for your openness in
looking at the future of this place, the future of our children and the future of Hawai‘i. Mahalo.
NELSEN: Aloha. My name is Shane Nelsen. I come from the Ahupua‘a of Kalamawaiawaawa,
which is in between Kealakekua and Kaawaloa Ahupua‘as. My family connection is the Kealakekua
Bay area, which has a significant connection to the Keauhou Kahalu‘u area as well. Today I speak in
support of Kamehameha Schools’ plan as is, as submitted as is. When we take a look at, you’ve
heard throughout the morning the significance of the area, the significance of the cultural practices,
the intricacies of the revitalization of the spiritual aspect of the area as well, and the practices.
Myself working in the Hawaiian community, I rarely find any safe spaces for these kānaka to practice
18
EXHIBIT A
their culture or even conduct their spiritual practices. There is no respect given to them because
people don’t understand what respect, what type of respect is needed for this. So with that said I feel
that if we open up too much access that’s unmanageable, the government is not able to help with
managing these area. We deal with so many enforcement issues in our community up and down the
coast around the island throughout the whole state, that if we open up too much access that’s
unmanageable, then we fail to support these pu‘uhonuas, or these safe spaces. And so I urge that this
committee take a look at that respect to the native cultures here in Kona, and more importantly, to
create some sort of precedents for future resurgents. This is the only development that I’ve seen, and
I’m sure the Planning Committee \[sic\] had some issues as well where you have to demolish a hotel
and restore the cultural significance of the area. This is really huge for the history of the Hawaiian
people in the islands. So I support the Kamehameha Schools plan, and with that hopefully we can
move forward with manageable access, looking at manageable accesses. Mahalo.
UNGER: Mahalo. Sandra Kirkpatrick, Jane Bockus, Ian Shortridge.
SHORTRIDGE: Aloha. My name is Ian Kunito Hirakawa Shortridge and I live in the Ahupua‘a of
Onouli. Being born and raised here on Hawai‘i Island I have observed how the presence of resort
development has not been beneficial to the people of Hawai‘i, as well as perpetuating the Hawaiian
culture. Today I’d like to voice my support for Kamehameha Schools’ effort to remove the last
remnants of the property’s resort and to recommit to the future of Kahalu‘u Ma Kai as an educational
hub for Hawai‘i Island. I support Kamehameha’s determination to create an educational experience
that will touch the learners of all levels and backgrounds throughout Hawai‘i. As a recent graduate
and continuing student of Hawai‘i Community College Pālamanui, Kahalu‘u Ma Kai has played a
role in achieving my academic goals. Many of the required courses for my associates degree and
academic subject certificate were taught at Kahalu‘u Ma Kai. These cultural-based and hands-on
classes like most are a lot more effective over lectures with today’s generation. Not only has
Kahalu‘u Ma Kai been a vital part of my academic success, it has also been an avenue to connect our
local community to the Hawaiian culture. The last two summers I was honored to have taken part in
Māmoe, a Hawaiian ceremony that acknowledges graduates. This single event allowed a range of
students from preschool to college to take part of an ancient Hawaiian ceremony. Not only did the
students get to experience this but their families and friends and many others who have attended. I
fully trust that Kamehameha Schools and its representatives will protect and preserve any cultural
resources that may be found during the hotel’s removal and the development of the new educational
complex. Thank you for this opportunity to share my testimony and I hope that we can see this
educational complex come to fruition for the betterment of our children, our grandchildren and all of
Hawai‘i. Mahalo.
BOCKUS: Aloha. My name is Jane Bockus. I’m a resident of Keauhou Mauka. My husband’s
family has lived in Kahalu‘u Makai as well as Mauka for many years. I speak on behalf of the
athletic community. The Keauhou Beach Resort when it was built over 50 years ago, I’m sure they
were not aware of all the cultural sites that they were building on top of. And I’m very much in favor
of removal of the building and restoration of those sites. As a founding member of Keauhou Canoe
Club, we are very much for the educational center that it preserves and protects the area. The word
“stewardship” was used, and I think that’s a wonderful word. This land does need to be preserved,
protected and preserved for our future, for the future of our keiki, for the future of our residents and
our community. Thank you.
19
EXHIBIT A
KIRKPATRICK: Hi, I’m Sandra Kirkpatrick. Is this \[microphone\] working okay? So I want to
thank the Planning Commission for your patience in sitting through two sessions of this and you’ve
got my applauds for your patience and willingness to hear everybody speak. When I spoke at the last
session, I said that I had two concerns. I am not opposed to the restoration and Kamehameha
Schools’ plans in going forward. I have two concerns. One, public access. And I spoke at length on
that last time. I was very happy to see the map up here because it clearly showed public access, and
that was what I was wanting to see. So if the Planning Commission feels that this is a safe route for
the public, marvelous. The whole tone I think is doing what we call “getting to yes”; I see a
movement towards the middle, which is obviously where we would like to be to make as many
people happy as possible. So I’m very happy to hear that they are doing all the restoration that they
are doing. That’s great. I’m also very glad to hear them speaking about the school as a community
but also as part of a much larger community. And, yes, that’s the other part of that that I think is so
important. This is an educational center, so, great, let them educate people to what’s there. When I
was here, I was fortunate to see them restoring the first heiau, and I was able to see that completed. I
didn’t manage to see the second one, but from Google Earth I can see that it looks like the second
heiau has been restored. Again, that’s just nothing but good news. Also nothing but good news to
hear that they’ve opened up the school to a larger population. And if respect is to be had, it can be
had a whole lot easier, if people understand what’s there; if they don’t know about it, how can they
respect it? So I’m very happy to hear that the Schools is willing to take on teaching the unwashed
public as it were. And thanks so much again. Appreciate it. And I love seeing this process because
it is definitely moving in a good direction. Thanks, guys.
BOCKUS: I would like to add that the public access with parking off the street is necessary. People
will want access to the shoreline, and I think with through the property on the north end as well as
access that I gather is planned on the southern border of the property with the minimum of ten
parking spaces, is very necessary. Otherwise, people would be parking on Ali‘i Drive, and that
doesn’t, is not adequate. Thank you.
UNGER: Blossom Maielua, Cecilia Johansen, Cherie Griffore.
JOHANSEN: Aloha to everyone here. My name is Cecilia Johansen and I live in Waimea. This is a
personal testimony. In our telephone conversation Kau‘i suggested that I bring the original size of
Henry Kekahuna’s architectural drawing of Kahalu‘u so you can see better what it looked like in the
1950’s, and it’s over here on the floor. I purchased the map from Bishop Museum when I went there
a few years ago to do research on the Waipa family. Let me share with you some things about me
and why I have such a great interest and love for this sacred royal center of Kahalu‘u. I had the
extraordinary privilege of being married to two Hawaiian men over the course of my life – not at the
same time – whose stories and songs kept me constantly entertained and who instilled in me a desire
to know and understand more of the beautiful Hawaiian culture, which they shared with me. I met
my first husband Charles Hikuokalani Waipa Kanewa in Los Angeles. He was born in Kapa‘ahu in
Puna District. If anybody knows where Kapa‘ahu is, raise your hand. Thank you. We were married
for 21 years before his death. His grandmother was Christina Kahulamū buried in the graveyard
above Saint Peter’s By the Sea Church. The Kahulamū still live in the family home and tend to the
historic burial site. Charles’ sister Gladys Nelson has a home across the road from them. As you
might know, the two families built the little blue church first at La‘aloa and then dismantled it, moved
20
EXHIBIT A
it to its present site. The year following Charles’ death I met his cousin Bernard Albert Waipa
Johansen also from Kapa‘ahu at a Hawai‘i Marines reunion in Las Vegas – yay, Vegas. When
Bernard asked me to marry him, I moved to Waimea ten years ago. He died in 2009. His daughter
and my stepdaughter Lee Ann DeLima, and before her health issues, she was head of Kamehameha
Schools Maui Campus – and I ask for your prayers for her, she is very ill. Selfishly I would like to
see Kahalu‘u restored to its original beauty, and I voice my strong support for Kamehameha Schools’
effort to remove the last remnants of the property’s resort use and to recommit the future of Kahalu‘u
Ma Kai as a cultural education hub for Hawai‘i Island. Mahalo.
GRIFFORE: Hi, my name is Cherie Griffore and I fully support and I’m excited to see the cultural
center. I’m grateful to see the prioritization of cultural history over commercialism. I just hope it’s
done in the least evasive way possible. If destruction is going to do more damage, I rather us utilize
what has already been done. The cultural value of this space is undeniable. Kahalu‘u is a fish
sanctuary; the demolition could be harmful to the delicate environment. Is there any way to restore
the heiau without destroying the hotel or jeopardizing the reef or ocean? Maybe restore the heiau as
much as possible and use it as an example of how commercialism has taken away from the cultural
history of areas. Is there a way to utilize the hotel as a cultural immersion hotel; have people come
for a three-day program and get the real cultural experience, arrive together, eat every meal together,
learn protocols together, fish, farm, and grow together. Have school children come and have
somewhere for them to stay, have somewhere for the kupunas to rest after they spend the day sharing
their mana‘o. I’m fully supportive of the community center. I’m just concerned about the
management especially because of the Kona Lagoon Hotel property. Thanks.
UNGER: Mahalo. Kaimi Kaupiko, Keone Kalawe, Nicole Collins.
KAUPIKO: Aloha. I’m Kaimi Kaupiko and I am from Miloli‘i, one of the last communities to
practice traditional fishing. And I’m here today with a few of our students, Hoku, and I want him to
say something before I end my testimony before the Planning Committee \[sic\] today. I am very in
support of Kamehameha’s removal of the hotel and I am in support of the area being a cultural
educational place for our students. Where we come from on our side of the island we don’t really
have a lot of resources for our kids, and so a lot of our kids down in our community don’t get access
to things that happens. And I believe that with this center we’ll be able to provide a lot more
programs for them. Currently we are taking our students to one of their programs, the plane table
map, and it has been such a reward for the last few years for us to be part of those programs. And
we’ve been really promoting these types of learning environments for our kids on our side because
they need it now. And I think what is being proposed is so important to the bigger picture of what is
trying to happen on our side, and I believe that their efforts in West Hawai‘i will pay back a lot for
kids like us in our community that don’t have access to great educational learning environments and
won’t have a chance to get that in public school. And what we do in our community is find ways to
provide projects that will teach them our culture and traditions, and I think what’s going to happen
there will be just like that, and I’m really in support of that, as well as the accessibility of those to
allow educational center at Kahalu‘u Ma Kai. Our family has been practicing traditional fishing for
years, and we will love to hear more of our communities on the west side start also bringing that
back, because that’s what we did. We are fishing communities and our area from our side all the way
to North Kohala is very known for fishing. And I think with the heiaus and all those important things
there, they will help in connecting back to those place. And I’m really in support of that and I’m here
21
EXHIBIT A
today with our kids from our school, from our program, and I’m hoping that we can move forward
with this. And I wanted to just, I want one of my students to say some more, a few words.
SUBIONO: Hi, I’m Hoku Subiono. I’m Kaimi’s, one of Kaimi’s students from Kua O Ka La. I just
want to say that I’m absolutely in support of this project, I mean, you know, students from Miloli‘i
we don’t really have a lot, I mean, we do as much as we can, but we always see, the community
center that’s being built, we always see that as educational opportunity for our school. I think it’s a
better opportunity for, you know, students over here, if they have their own, you know, community
center like that. I think it’s great. Going through with the programs like plane table mapping and
Maluaka, I think we’ve already seen the educational opportunity that they, this gives to Big Island
students. And, yeah, thank you.
KALAWE: Aloha. My name is Keone Kalawe. I live in Kaniahiku Village in the ‘Ili of Kaniahiku
in the Ahupua‘a of Nānāwale in Puna. The issue that I want to cover is public access and also
customary rights in Hawai‘i, okay? And as a kanaka, when we look for answers, we look for answers
in the past. So I just want to cover briefly where all this began, when it was written, okay? So the
first written rights that also is connected, you know, to the ‘āina is the Declaration of Rights in 1839
by Kamehameha III. Then the next palapala, which is also, continues about the rights and obligation
of the ‘āina, is the First Constitution in 1840, okay? And as we go down, we also find it in the Civil
Code of 1859, Page 387, and also in the Penal Code in 1897 in the Organic Act, okay? And there’s
also two court cases, one, January 1858 in the Supreme Court of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and the
second one was the U.S. Supreme Court, it’s Damon versus the Territory of Hawai‘i. And in a
nutshell, what it states is that when ‘āina is transferred, it’s not only the ‘āina; it’s the kuleana, it’s the
obligation. And this obligation, it does not end on the shoreline; it continues in the kai, okay? So
with that said, I just want to go into the heiaus, okay? I had actually the opportunity to participate in
the restoration of the heiaus. In each heiau we had found a lot of information. The first heiau, what
we found out is that it was built between 1422 to 1465, okay? So that’s really important. So before
Columbus stumbled upon America, this heiau was in fully function, okay? And Ke‘ekū, there is a lot
more information that we can actually obtain. But my concern is that let the practitioner practice on
the heiaus, okay? Do we let the public go into the public schools when class is in session? Do we let
the public go into any classroom in a university? No, we don’t. These heiaus, these temples, are
actually classrooms, but for our people to study, to learn. I had the opportunity in the past to, you
know, work on heiaus, to teach about heiaus, as well as learn on heiaus. So my whole thing about the
practice in the laws is that we don’t let anybody go to any classrooms when it is in session. Kahalu‘u
Ma Kai is a classroom. We cannot let anybody go onto the heiaus. If you don’t have one function,
you don’t have them practice, you don’t belong on the heiau, okay? And this is a practice from way
before in the past; we should continue in the present and we should continue this in the future. I fully
am committed to the obligations of the will of Bernice Pauahi, you know, for her educational vision,
and we should actually continue the vision. And I totally support Kamehameha Schools. And let
Kamehameha Schools decide where the access should start and end. Mahalo.
COLLINS: Aloha mai kākou, ‘o Nicole U‘imai‘ole Collins ko‘u inoa, no Waimea mai au, noho au
ma ka ahupua‘a ‘o Kawanui ma Kona, aloha. I wanted to speak today in support of Kamehameha
Schools. As a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, you know, it’s not always, I’m not
always proud of the things that Bishop Estate chooses to do or how they manage the land. But it is
beautiful to see, you know, with all of the politics going on and we see all the destruction that is
22
EXHIBIT A
happening to our land and the things that our kūpuna talk about and share with us that they have seen,
it’s beautiful to see that they are taking ownership and restoring the culture and restoring the practices
and allowing for Hawaiians to be Hawaiian again. So I fully support Kamehameha Schools, and
mahalo.
UNGER: Thank you. Pono Kipapa, Makani Gregg, Pua Lincoln.
GREGG: Aloha mai kākou. I’m Makani Gregg.
KIPAPA: Aloha. My name is Pono Kipapa.
UNGER: Aloha.
GREGG: So, aloha, I’m Makani Gregg. I reside in Keahialaka, Puna. I’m representing Kua O Ka
La, as well as my family. This is my nephew/haumāna also, Pono. As a teacher, learner, all of that,
I’m in full support of KS and the proposal of knocking down the hotel in the efforts of creating an
educational hub. I see that as being very necessary and critical for today to have the sacred space to
do what we need to do in order to reconnect with things all that is Hawaiian. And I want to kind of
kākou, or support, what Uncle Keone talked about with the public access that that should be restricted
and really thought about. At Kua O Ka La our fishpond is kind of right next to Ahalanui Beach Park,
and every time our haumāna, and even last week when we were out working on the fishpond and
trying to learn and observe, people do come by and take pictures and do invade the space and it really
disrupts the concentration of which really going on, and it’s really inappropriate. So again, nobody
really should be walking into schools because of the privacy and all that. And -.
KIPAPA: Aloha. My name is Pono Kipapa. I represent, I support knocking the hotel down.
MAIELUA: Aloha mai kākou. My name is Blossom Pualani Lincoln Maielua. I’m from Pu‘ukapu,
Kohala. I’m an instructor in the Hawai‘i Life Styles Department right here at Hawai‘i CC Pālamanui.
I’m an ʻaukai Makali‘i, I’m a mother and I’m a kanaka Hawai‘i. Eleven generations ago my kupuna
Keakamahana reigned over this island and Kahalu‘u was significant to her governance. Heiau were
built stone upon stone to lift the chiefs who would then lift their people. The land flourished, the
people produced, the ocean produced and the people thrived. Ten generations ago my kupuna
Keakealaniwahine conducted temple ceremonies on the heiau of Kahalu‘u and designated space and
time. These ceremonies created balance and connection throughout the community. The Kūāhewa
agricultural field system was cultivated in coalition with the tracking of the seasons confirmed upon
the platform of Hāpaiali‘i. Six generations ago my kupuna Puakō carved canoes right here in Kona.
These same canoes sailed through these islands under the guidance of navigators whose knowledge
was secured amongst those same stones of Hāpaiali‘i Heiau. It is in this same generation that
Kamehameha ‘Ekahi died. Foreign influence boomed at the coast of Kamakahonu. And the ‘aikapu,
our ancient religious system, which was crafted by the mating of Wākea and Papahānaumoku, fell. A
new religion arrived on our shores. It preached ola hou, everlasting life, and promised to save our
dying people. Times were changing, but the sacredness of Kahalu‘u remained. Five generations ago
my kupuna Kahalepuna, who was fed by these same waters and lands of Kona, was told that ‘āina no
longer meant that which feeds, that the resources that she had accessed her entire life were no longer
hers to share, and that in order to be saved and prosper not only must she accept a foreign god but she
23
EXHIBIT A
must own land. The Mahele was established, and yet another foreign concept dictated the
relationship between kānaka and ‘āina. Land privatization shifted our world immensely, yet
Kahalu‘u remained sacred. Three generations ago my kupuna Elizabeth Pualani Kawahine
Pu‘āinamoku was told that the language of her world could no longer be spoken to her children. She
whispered ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i to my tūtū in the quiet of the night in fear that if it wasn’t at least
whispered, it would be forgotten forever. As our mother-tongue was silenced, plans to move a
community were being made, and shortly after Kahalu‘u was stripped from us native tenants, the
kupa, the kama, the people of this land. And though now silenced and lonely, Kahalu‘u remained
sacred. One generation ago my father Alexander Kawai buried my piko, the sacred connection of his
first daughter into this earth therefore securing me to this land. Within my lifetime heiau of Kahalu‘u
have been dismantled, hotels have been built, sold, demolished, full in occupancy and low in
occupancy, and though trampled and disregarded, Kahalu‘u remain sacred. Five years ago I lifted my
son ‘Ahu‘ulaakeawe onto Hāpaiali‘i Heiau, and we witnessed the setting of the sun,
Ke-ala-polohiwa-a-Kāne. It recognized the furthest northern travel of this particular sun on this day;
it represented our greatest potential as a people. Four years ago I lifted my son Kumano onto
Hāpaiali‘i and we witnessed the setting of the sun, Ka-piko-o-Wākea; balance was restored within
our universe, therefore ourselves. Two years ago I lifted my son Keakamahana unto Hāpaiali‘i and
we witnessed the setting of the sun at Ke-ala-polohiwa-a-Kanaloa, and as the sun set, the ocean rise
and completely encircled us; it was confirmed that Kahalu‘u remain sacred. All of this change, all of
this time, yet the ceremonial space remains; therefore, it should be acknowledged. The sacredness of
Kahalu‘u is not for us kānaka of today to determine; it is only for us to uphold. A hui hou.
UNGER: Mahalo. Before we close this portion of the meeting, is there any other members of the
public who would like to testify at this time? Mahalo ‘oukou for your mana‘o and your hō‘ike.
Commissioners, at this time I need a motion to close this portion of the public hearing.
SHIMAOKA: I make the motion to close.
CHURCH: Second.
UNGER: Motion moved by Commissioner Shimaoka and seconded by Commissioner Church. All
in favor?
COMMISSIONERS: Aye \[unanimous\].
UNGER: Opposed? At this time if the applicant would like to come up and make their presentation?
MILLER: Aloha Commissioners. My name is Jamee Miller and I’m the Interim Senior Director for
Community Engagement and Resources of the Kamehameha Schools in West Hawai‘i.
DUARTE: Aloha kākou. My name is Kā‘eo Duarte from Kahalu‘u and Hōlualoa here in Kona and
I’m the Vice President of Community Engagement and Resources at Kamehameha Schools.
WOODSIDE: Aloha mai kākou. I’m Ulalia Woodside, Director of Natural and Cultural Resources
for Kamehameha Schools Community Engagement and Resources.
24
EXHIBIT A
SALAVEA: Aloha mai kākou. My name is Allen Salavea and I am the Planning and Entitlements
Manager with Kamehameha Schools. Aloha.
UNGER: Aloha.
DUARTE: Uh, sorry, taking a breath after listening everything that was said this morning, kind of
going to throw out, throw out my script a little bit this morning, and first give an honor to other
kūpuna over here with us today physically, and those who have come before us, could really feel it
today. It is an honor for me, being from Kona, to walk in the room and see all of you folks here.
I want to start that at the last hearing, Commissioner Kaholo, I thought a lot about your words. You
had the first and the last word at the last hearing. And you started reminding us about the importance
of this place and what you heard from your kūpuna and the sacredness of the space and what you
were taught. And you ended the last meeting, highlighting your folks’ tremendous kuleana, also to
balance that with the public and the public rights and so forth. And in many ways how you started
the hearing and how you ended the hearing really encapsulates a lot of what we are talking about
today. And I think for us, too, at Kamehameha Schools this whole process has been in many ways
about also trying to find the balance and the pono in meetings. And, Commissioner Unger, you had
mentioned about, you know, access plans of public involvement. I can say we’ve been at this for two
years, many community meetings at the night time with Hawaiian organizations, non-Hawaiian
organizations, public meetings posted in the newspaper, on the radio, multiple times to get input on
how to make this not a Kamehameha Schools plan. I heard many of the testifiers say Kamehameha
Schools, Kamehameha Schools, Kamehameha Schools. Why I feel good about this plan is I can feel
good that everybody behind me is behind me, that this is a community plan. This was not, this plan
was not done in a closed room in a backroom at Kawaiahao Plaza in Honolulu; this plan was done,
and has taken many forms, getting input from people like Aunty Kalani, Uncle Mitchell and many of
the other people in this room, who said, no, I don’t like that, I don’t like it like that, change that. And
we heard everything in our meetings from some of our cultural practitioners who told us, “No, this
place is too kapu, nothing should go on here, only cultural practitioners, period, Kamehameha
Schools, you need to fight for this whole place to be walled off,” all the way to those who err towards
the side of much more openness. And just like you folks, you know, we’ve been ourselves and how
do we find the balance where we do not want this to be a place that’s not welcoming; we want this
place to be a place that is welcoming for all, from the keiki and ‘ohana, but to the world. Hearing
about the Shinto priest from Japan, and I know we’ve had a Maoli here and many other people
leaders from other cultures here. And we want this to be a place that we are all proud of;
Kamehameha Schools is proud of, the Hawaiian community is proud of, the County of Hawai‘i is
proud of. We want this to be a place where people are welcome. I heard one of the testifiers speak
about, I guess he had the map about the closed gates, and I learned to swim at Kahalu‘u Beach Park,
and I was one of those kids, I was much browner in those days when I wasn’t working at a desk so
much, I was one of those brown kids who would wander into the property and be told by the hotel
folks, “Get out here you dumb kid, get off this property.” And now we are trying to turn that around
and say, “Mai, mai, come here, come kids, come families, this place is for you.” That’s what we are
trying to create. We want to turn it 180 degrees that this is a place. When Ke Ali‘i Pauahi left her
legacy, everything she had, she didn’t necessarily leave it to Kamehameha Schools; she said to form
Kamehameha Schools for the benefit of the people of Hawai‘i. And that’s what this is about. This is
not your father’s Bishop Estate. This is not where we’re headed. And this is in many ways the
25
EXHIBIT A
beginning, beginning of really something that’s very old, and how we honor the legacy. And it’s
proper and pono that we are starting many of our new journey as Kamehameha Schools trying to
learn from the past. When my father worked construction, building Kona Lagoon, and talks about
unearthing iwi and sculls when we built the hotel, and it’s just funny and humbling that I actually am
here in this position representing our CEO and trustees to allow us to right some wrongs, heal some
wounds that need to be healed, and really honor Pauahi’s legacy of creating the space that’s
welcoming to the world. I mean, Lili‘uokalani, Pauahi, they didn’t just speak Hawaiian, they spoke
more languages than probably any of us in this room, and they celebrated other worlds, other
cultures, and that’s what we want to celebrate here. We want to this to be a place of learning culture,
education, to lift up our people but the whole community here, and even be a beacon to the world of
what makes Hawai‘i special.
So as we, so what we put forward is our best attempt, and we feel good about it, finding the balance
between those two sides, of those we heard from in the last two years of this place is so kapu, which
should be completely closed off, to only to certain crowds, to those really only few voices who
wanted more unfretted access, and trying to find a way to honor both so all people are welcome here.
Like Ms. Kirkpatrick said, how do we find the, come to the middle? We feel good about what we
presented that recognizing the geographic and topographic realities of the side, the location of the
heiau, the sacredness of certain spaces, but also needing access to certain areas for fishing, like on the
south side where people go throw net and so forth, placing public access parking in the right place,
manage the access so people could still come and learn, and of course on the north side with the
beach park there is public access also. We feel good about that.
So I want to keep it short, I can say that since the last hearing I really mahalo the Planning
Department and the Planning Director and Bobby and others having the conversation in a very civil
and productive way to find the best balance. And we, in a nutshell we agree with the conditions. We
can live with the conditions that have been established. Even as the hotel is being down, we have an
interim public access plan that we’ve been doing now. We are happy to turn in an interim plan
during the demolition phase and happy to work with both the County and the DLNR to secure the
long-term public, a little bit more detail in signage and so on and so forth, as noted in the
Recommendation, we are happy to do that, and we have already since the last hearing further
communication with DLNR so that we can resolve other both ownership and heiau access issues in
the shoreline area. So we feel confident that we can get those things done. So in a nutshell we have
no objection to the conditions in the Recommendation. We are ready to move forward.
Commissioner Church at the last meeting had said, “Bishop Estates they sometimes haven’t followed
through on certain things, are you guys going to make this happen?” I talked to our CEO this
morning at 7:30, just to tell him where we are at, he sends his aloha to everyone for your support, and
we have the budget, we have full approval, we are ready to go, we are ready to make this happen. So
again, mahalo Planning Department for working with us in the last month to come to something that
we think works. So basically we stand here with really no additional comments or changes. We
agree with the conditions and we are ready to move forward. Mahalo nui.
UNGER: Mahalo. If that’s all, very good, you can take your seats. Thank you. At this time then,
Commissioners, I would like to ask for a motion for action.
26
EXHIBIT A
SHIMAOKA: I would like to motion that we go into executive session so we can consult with our
legal advice.
KAHOLO: I second.
UNGER: It’s been motioned by Commissioner Shimaoka, seconded by Commissioner Kaholo. So
at this time the Planning Commission is going into executive session. Jeffrey? All in favor?
COMMISSIONERS: Aye \[unanimous\].
UNGER: Opposed? So move.
DARROW: Thank you. At this time if we could ask if everyone could make their way outside for a
short period of time while the Commission goes into executive session. Thank you.
EXECUTIVE SESSION – The Commission went into executive session at 11:57 a.m. by a motion
made by Commissioner Shimaoka, seconded by Commissioner Kaholo and unanimously carried by a
voice vote, to consult with the Commission’s counsel regarding legal questions or issues pertaining to
the Commission’s powers, duties, privileges, immunities and liabilities. The Commission came out
of executive session at 12:00 p.m. by a motion made by Commissioner Shimaoka, seconded by Chair
Pro Tem Unger, and unanimously carried by a voice vote.
UNGER: At this time I would like to call the meeting back into session. Commissioners, before we
make a call for motion, are there any more questions of the applicant?
SHIMAOKA: Yeah, I’ve got a question on the access. According to our Planning Director
Kanuha’s suggestion, or plan, that there would be also an access in the middle of the property. And
you folks are okay with that?
DUARTE: I guess what they are looking for, I mean, I assume you are referring to the managed
access that goes through the middle of the property?
SHIMAOKA: Correct.
DUARTE: That, we are fine with. The managed access down the middle?
SHIMAOKA: Right.
DUARTE: Yes. The one in the mustard color orange down the middle.
SHIMAOKA: Yes.
DUARTE: Yes.
SHIMAOKA: Any restrictions that you folks are going to be putting on that access there, any kind of
minimal restrictions?
27
EXHIBIT A
DUARTE: For the yellow one down the middle?
SHIMAOKA: Yes.
DUARTE: That will be a managed access, so that one we will have, you know, we’ll be developing
this Heritage Center and an operational plan that will have some limits on capacity, obviously, how
many you can take at a time. We have not fully developed all the interpretive materials whether it’s
going to be audio, visual, and that’s going to be kind of more of, well, on this side here, this is, I
don’t want to say traditional, but conventional public access in the sense of public; parking spaces,
you go to the beach, you do your thing, you go on the shoreline, and that’s, you know, conventional
public access as granted by required in a lot of coastal developments. And, of course, there is public
access in the north side at Kahalu‘u Beach Park. This will be a managed access, which include
education, interpretation, and allow more engaged conversation in viewing and accessing the site
down the middle. And, you know, there would be limitation in the sense of, you know, obviously
staying on. These are two key learning areas. This is our overnight Hale Ho‘omaha learning centers
and then this is our key learning center here. So having this in the middle was for us a compromise
of how we could allow others to come and view and experience the site even if you are not in our
programs and be able to experience the heiau and learn but in a more managed way. So it is managed
as opposed to this one and of course on the north is just more unrestricted, yeah. So we have both
kinds of access on the site.
UNGER: Any more questions?
KAHOLO: Yeah, I’ve got a question. We are looking at this site right here, okay, I don’t see
anything showing any kind of agreement of what’s happening on the mauka side, north end.
DUARTE: So when you say mauka, you mean across the street or you mean on the north side.
KAHOLO: North end. From Kahalu‘u Beach Park heading south.
DUARTE: Yeah, so in the Recommendation the Planning Department is requiring us to come to
agreement with them on signage and so forth, as we delineate, you know, where public can go, you
know, what accesses along this shoreline, and then for those who want to experience the site, I think
in preliminary discussions the Planning Director was talking about us having signage and
interpretation to direct them to the other public access sites. And those are the things that we need to
work out in this, the condition in there to work out the details of how we do that is what the Planning
Director is requiring us to do before we can go vertical.
KAHOLO: Thank you.
UNGER: Any other questions, Commissioners? At this time I would like to call for a motion.
SHIMAOKA: Yeah, I move that the application for Special Management Area Use Permit, Docket
Number SMA 15-060, be approved pursuant to the Planning Director’s recommendation, findings
and proposed conditions, which shall be adopted.
28
EXHIBIT A
KAHOLO: Second.
UNGER: It was moved by Commissioner Shimaoka and seconded by Commissioner Kaholo.
Discussion and comments? Staff, will you please call for vote?
DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The motion before us is to approve this SMA application as
recommended by the Planning Director. With that, we’ll take the roll call. Commissioner
Shimaoka?
SHIMAOKA: Aye.
DARROW: Commissioner Kaholo?
KAHOLO: Aye.
DARROW: Commissioner Church?
CHURCH: Aye.
DARROW: And Mr. Chairman?
UNGER: Aye.
DARROW: The motion passes, four to zero.
UNGER: Thank you all.
DUARTE: Mahalo nui. We won’t let you guys down. This is going to be an awesome project.
The discussion ended at 12:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Noriko Sauer, Secretary
Leeward Planning Commission
29
EXHIBIT A