2024-11-22 Moku Loa (Hawaii Island) Group, Sierra Club

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From: ptanok12@amail.com on behalf of Moku Loa Hawaii Island Sierra Club To: LPCtestimonv Subject: Testimony on draft General Plan 2045 Date: Friday, November 22, 2024 9:19:02 AM Attachments: GP2040, Aua. 2019 draft, Public Access thru Cultural&Historic Preservation.pdf November 22, 2024 Leeward Planning Commission 101 Pauahi St, Ste 103 Hilo HI 96720 Re: Final draft General Plan 2045 Aloha Madame Chair and members of the Commission, Mahalo nui loa for your volunteer service to our community on one of the most important, consequential boards and commission in our county. HIG's testimony today is as follows: Public Comments HIG is asking for clarification on the public comments provided to the Commission in its board packet for yesterday's meeting. The draft General Plan 2045 (GP2045) is a complete rewrite and reorganization of the current General Plan. In addition, GP2045 is a complete rewrite and reorganization of the draft General Plan 2040 (GP2040) released in 2019. The comments received by the Planning Department (PD) after the comprehensive review was begun in 2015 were comments on the current General Plan. The comments received by the PD after the GP2040 was release in 2019 were on that draft. Because GP2045 is a complete gut -and -replace of the current GP and of GP2040, the only comments that are relevant to the draft GP2045 are those received after GP2045 was released in September 2023. HIG would like to know if the comments provided in the board packet are solely all comments received since September 2023 or if other comments prior to that time are included. HIG would like to reiterate its request that the comment provided to the Commission be separated into the relevant sections of GP2045. For instance, since the Commission is reviewing Collaborative Biocultural Stewardship today, the Commission would be able to compare the comments list to GP2045 and determine which comments were or were not included. In addition, comments on the GP2045 land use map should be listed by District so that the Commission can better determine if those comments have resulted in any changes to the land use map. Standard Section 3-15 of the county Charter states, in part, "The general plan shall contain a statement of development objectives, standards and principles with respect to the most desirable use of land within the county...". Unfortunately, all Standards listed in the current General Plan have been removed. Therefore, HIG requests that, at a minimum, the following Standards in the current General Plan related to Collaborative Biocultural Stewardship be restored in GP2045: