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r+ J1 John Kaye 7116 (if;T ?n PFI 07 — • P.O. Box 100004,1,,,,, ENT Hakalau, Hawaf-(96'710 I LAWN' Farrah-Marie Gomes, Vice-Chair Hamakua CDP Steering Committee _ +� do Hawaii County Planning Department Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, HI 96720 RE: Hakalau Point '— Dear Members of the Hamakua CDP Steering Committee: I am submitting this testimony in support of designating Hakalau Point as"Open". In short, and as will be more fully described below,the Hamakua CDP, the Hawaii County General Plan as well as Hawaii State coastal laws make it very clear that lands adjacent to the coast and the shoreline are to be protected,undeveloped and preserved for the public benefit. Hakalau Point is one of the few remaining undeveloped Hamakua coastal properties with sweeping views and historic significance and worthy of protection and preservation for the public as directed by the CDP, the General Plan and Hawaii State Law. I. AN"OPEN"DESIGNATION FOR HAKALAU POINT CONFORMS . TO COUNTY AND STATE LAWS A. The Current Version of the Hamakua CDP Makes Clear That Hakalau Point Should Be Preserved and Undeveloped. On Page 26, of the current draft of the Hamakua CDP,the planners state, "The Community Objectives are the foundation of the CDP". The CDP then delineates the specific objectives of the CDP, including the following three objectives, all of which support preservation and protection from development for Hakalau Point: Objective 1: Protect, restore, and enhance watershed ecosystems, sweeping views, and open • spaces from mauka forests to makai shorelines, while assuring responsible public access for recreational,spiritual, cultural, and sustenance practices. Objective 2: Protect and restore viable agricultural lands and resources. Protect and enhance viewscapes and open spaces that exemplify Hamakua's rural character. Objective 4: Protect and nurture Hamakua's social and cultural diversity and heritage assets, including sacred places, historic sites and buildings, and distinctive plantation towns. Moreover, and equally important the current Hamakua CDP in Section 1.1.3 makes clear that protection of our shorelines is the top priority, and that development of our coastal areas is to be discouraged and prevented. In particular, the first four priorities for future planning are particularly relevant to Hakalau Point: 1 • 108143