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Dacayanan, Melissa <br /> From: Judith Weitz <judithsweitz@gmail.com> <br /> Sent: Thursday,August 28, 2025 2:15 PM <br /> To: WPCtestimony <br /> Subject: Opposition to Rezoning Request to CV-20 (Commercial,Village—20,000 sq. ft. <br /> PL-REZ-2025-000083 <br /> Applicant: William Cox Morris <br /> TMK: (3) 1-9-005:006 (portion) <br /> Dear Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission, <br /> I am writing to respectfully oppose the request to rezone the subject lot on Old Volcano Highway to CV- <br /> 20. <br /> Allowing this rezone would set a concerning precedent for neighboring lot owners to pursue commercial <br /> rezoning. Such development would likely result in pin-to-pin clearing of the native 'ohi'a forest along <br /> this corridor, and extensive paving for parking lots fronting the Old Volcano Highway. This type of <br /> land use change would permanently alter the character and ecological integrity of the area. <br /> We do encourage commercial development in Volcano—but in the appropriate, designated areas. <br /> According to a local realtor, there is already a significant amount of unused commercial real estate <br /> sitting vacant in Volcano, such as the space next to True Value Hardware. In addition, there is a lot <br /> currently for sale next to the Eagle Cafe within the already approved commercial zone. That property <br /> could potentially be swapped or developed, avoiding the need to rezone outside of the planned <br /> commercial core. <br /> Importantly, the location of this lot is outside of the intended commercial zone as designated in both the <br /> Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) and the Volcano Community Development Plan (VCDP <br /> 2015). The Hawai'i County General Plan 2045 further reinforces this distinction: the area along Old <br /> Volcano Highway above the post office is designated as "Low Density Urban," where the primary use <br /> is residential with only ancillary community and convenience-type commercial uses allowed. By <br /> contrast, the area at the post office and below is designated "Moderate Density Urban," where village <br /> and neighborhood commercial uses are intended to be located. <br /> In light of these plans and the availability of suitable alternatives, I respectfully request that the Planning <br /> Commission deny this rezoning request. <br /> Thank you for considering this testimony. <br /> Respectfully submitted, <br /> Judith Weitz <br /> Resident of Volcano, HI 96785 <br /> i <br />