2024-02-27 PL-SMA-2023-000046 Chris & Kathleen Mumme Testimony

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February 27, 2024 Planning Department ry0H PLANNING DEPT 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo HI 96720 MAR 4 2024 Pm4:20 Re: SMA for Punalu'u Village, Kau REC'D BY MAIL To Whom It May Concern: As full-time residents of the small development just mauka of this planned development, we are very interested in the county's role in the potential approval and over-seeing of Punalu'u Village project. We chose Kau as our home because it resembled what we are used to: quiet, rural, agricultural beauty. We here in Kau are very concerned with over-development and the protection of our beauty. We also know that property owners are generally allowed to develop their own property if they follow the law and stick with the plan. As with any easily accessible and beautiful place, people will come....they already do! The latest plan for the former"Sea Mountain Resort" seems to be very much scaled back from plans of the past. We are happy to see that any new building will be within the current and already developed area. We count about 230 units, most of which are reasonably small and none over 2.5 stories. Apparently only the 80 proposed condos next to the current Colony One units could have the potential for full-time residents.The remaining units would be for short, even overnight accommodations. We also see that these new units are just over the hill and mauka of our beloved Black Sand Beach.There will be no new development in the beach area itself. Further, the area along the beach area will be held in a conservation management area. We like the idea of small businesses that can help employ our residents and afford some nice conveniences to those of us who call this area home. Currently we see quite a bit of daytime traffic to the beach. Most visitors, but certainly not all, stay briefly to see the turtles and take in the gorgeous view. This development,well off the beach and quite limited in 'sprawl', could mean that those visiting would have the opportunity to enjoy other amenities which do not include the beach, but which could be a healthy boon for the local economy and for local entrepreneurs. All of that said, we do have concerns. We worry about parking, the impact on sea life, the beach itself, and the increase in our traffic. We wonder if some of the overnight condos are too large. We also would like clarification of the plans for the "Old Punalu'u Village" area. But, as neighboring homeowners, our greatest concern is the sewer and water system which we share with the existing Sea Mountain Resort/Colony One units.We are very concerned about the aging infrastructure here and how it would be affected by the addition of new buildings and homes. We are confident that Hawaii county will ensure that this system is upgraded to accommodate this increase and that existing homeowners can be confident that the system will be in better condition than it is currently if the plan meets with your approval. Surely no approval will be given until this is made a part of the proposal. Thank you for your attention. es Regards, al9 / / hris and Kath een Mumme 95-1175 Alahaki Road/ PO Box 363