DChang Nov 9 2022 at 8:38AM on page 2 Yes Village Design Districts are a good practice, although there are difficulties with enforcement of design standards and developing, staffing, and maintaining a village design commission. Our island has a number of historic villages and towns that residents want to protect. The reasons are cultural and historic but also make economic sense. Unfortunately, without design standards, towns tend to lose their unique character and become a chop suey mix of expedient architecture. replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 8:19AM on page 3 Yes Landscape requirements in industrial areas need to remain in place! Arguments that landscaping is a frivolous, costly addition will be made, but industrial areas do not have to be ugly! Landscaping also helps with shade and reduces water runoff. replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 8:08AM on page 1 Yes Public accesses to the mountains and ocean are being created via the planning process as provided in Hi. County Code, Chap. 34, the County's Public Access Ordinance. Too often these are "paper trails" created in subdivision approval maps but never implemented on the ground. These paper trails are like the "paper roads" or "Roads in Limbo" that were created in historic subdivisions and never opened to public use. As decades go by, it becomes easy to ignore that any public trail system was ever intended for an area. (A good example of this is in Pu`uanahulu). The access remains on paper when there is no permit that enables the developer to be required to build and develop the trails. Even when trails are actually built, if the County has the responsibility to maintain the trails, which agency in the County has that responsibility? The signage to enable people to know where the accesses are in Pepe`ekeo Point subdivision is the County's responsibility (but left undone). The signage to show where the mauka-makai access is in Kona Sea Ranch subdivision is the County's responsibility (but left undone). How does one apply for a night fishing permit to get through the locked access gate at Kohala Waterfront subdivision? These and many other public access issues have remained unaddressed despite many years of requests and complaints. replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 7:11AM on page 1 Yes The Planning Department has a Cultural Resources Commission (CRC) which is being underutilized. Meetings are frequently cancelled, and agendas are often skimpy. The CRC should be trained and consulted whenever development proposals (including subdivision applications) contain potential cultural/historic concerns. replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 7:01AM on page 2 Yes There are good reasons for regulating so-called "Ohana" dwellings to limit the density of neighborhoods that were intended to be for single family dwellings. There are also good reasons for getting rid of Condominium Property Regimes, which were another way to increase the density of lots intended for agricultural use. These are ways to get around the zoning and subdivision codes. I support bringing the zoning and subdivision codes and General Plan into better conformance with the Community Development Plans, which reflect the will of the people living in each district. replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 6:23AM on page 4 Yes Last I checked, our County's regulations regarding the raising of honey bees were significantly more restrictive than O`ahu's and those of other more urbanized areas. It would be good to review and compare beekeeping ordinances that have proven themselves and are based on science. replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 6:12AM on page 2 Yes With relaxed regulations over building permit requirements for accessory agricultural buildings, it has become easy to use agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes. Weak enforcement, too few zoning inspectors, ability to refuse entry on to the property suspected of containing violations, etc. result in years-long violations with no consequences. Once approved for Additional Farm Dwellings based on a farm plan, who ensures that the farm plan is implemented? What happens to the additional farm dwelling(s) if the farm fails? How can the system ensure that the process of developing additional farm dwellings is not a farce, enabling development of agricultural land for purely residential purposes? replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 5:50AM on page 2 Yes When subdivisions are applied for on lands that have never been developed or only minimally developed, thorough archaeological survey should be required prior to subdivision approval. This means not just a reconnaissance level survey or survey of only the proposed road network. Archaeological survey should be a requirement of the original landowner and not left up to subsequent buyers of lots after subdivision approval. replies
DChang Nov 9 2022 at 5:39AM on page 2 Yes Many subdivisions are congested with on-street parking. This appears to be overflow from residences. More space for parking needs to be required when single family and multi-family dwellings are developed. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:50AM on page 4 No We weren't sustainable, stable and diverse before the pandemic and have gone down hill since then. With more pandemics likely on the way, climate change and an energy crisis it becomes more obvious that we need to work on self-sustainability goals. As the world becomes more unstable, we need to up our game. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:45AM on page 4 Yes Nice bathrooms? The first thing I noticed about Hawaii was the third world condition of their bathrooms in beach parks and camping areas. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:42AM on page 4 No No, and a case in point is the pool in Laupahoehoe. There are many elderly there who use the pool. Even before the pandemic, water aerobics had become hard to access and since the pandemic has become non-existent with greatly reduced hours for all water activities. And while I love Elderly Services and the wonderful activities they provide, the waiting list for certain classes is very long and getting into desired classes can be very competitive. They're doing a great job, give them more money so they expand out into the rural areas. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:35AM on page 4 No I think health care needs to be one of the top priorities on this island. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:33AM on page 3 No I worry about Hu Honua Ola going on-line in Pepe'ekeo due to political maneuvering. Our power costs are already high and they are wanting an even higher rate. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:26AM on page 3 No Parking is always tight in Hilo and almost non-existent in some of the public beach areas. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:21AM on page 2 Yes This is a yes and no. It is happening, but not fast enough and we're losing out on some very important purchases. Too much is private in Hawaii which should be public. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:18AM on page 2 No Too many loopholes which result in agricultural lands being used residentially. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:15AM on page 2 Yes The Hamakua Coast could be a world class scenic drive with just a little work. Public utilities and commercial enterprises would need to be kept off the highway. And trees which block the ocean views would need to be removed, but the results would be amazing because the potential is there. replies
Mary True Oct 31 2022 at 8:09AM on page 2 No No! Who allowed the electric station to be placed directly on the highway in Pepe'ekeo? Also huge commercial green houses which are directly on the highway? replies
Tsierer Oct 30 2022 at 10:58AM on page 1 Yes It would be great to have a walking or bike trail up mauka along Queen K from Lako to Makala. Bike lanes on the road are dangerous so it should be 25 feet away. replies
kyrabronson Oct 30 2022 at 8:08AM on page 3 No There is one free public parking lot in downtown Kailua Kona to support all businesses and recreation. There are other private free lots for select businesses, and many private paid lots. Absolutely not enough public parking to support the businesses and recreation activities in town. replies
kyrabronson Oct 30 2022 at 8:03AM on page 1 No The Walua trail has been ignored and neglected by the county for over 3 years. The surface is dangerous with roots pushing up the pavement. The county comes through every 6 months or so and paints these areas yellow, but they refuse to make it a priority for repaving. replies
kyrabronson Oct 30 2022 at 8:00AM on page 2 Yes Yes, but most are not "allowed" by the county. Please allow for multiple living areas in single family residences. replies
kyrabronson Oct 30 2022 at 7:59AM on page 3 No Absolutely not. The traffic between Henry and Kamehameha III in Kona is ridiculous, sometimes waiting through three or more light cycles to get through an intersection. The traffic on Henry between Palani and Kuakini is ridiculous. The roadways in Kona do NOT support traffic volumes. replies
kyrabronson Oct 30 2022 at 7:56AM on page 3 No No. There are only a couple of buses each morning and evening from the rural communities on the west side into Kona. Instead of providing "free" bus rides, there should have been an increase in the bus schedule. I realize it is hard to increase service when ridership is low, but ridership cannot increase when there aren't enough bus times to make it reliable. If the bus ran hourly from Ocean View to Kona, I think there would be more riders. Once in Kona, there needs to be better and more reliable bus service around town as well. replies
kyrabronson Oct 30 2022 at 7:51AM on page 4 Yes Yes, transfer stations are conveniently located, but services have been reduced and need to be brought back. Greenwaste is only accepted 3 days a week at Kealakehe and during shortened hours. Can this please be reopened to the same days/times as the transfer station? replies
kyrabronson Oct 30 2022 at 7:48AM on page 4 No Absolutely not. We definitely do not have enough doctors to support the needs of the community. We wait MONTHS for an appointment. replies
Paul Normann Oct 28 2022 at 10:22AM on page 3 Yes This is a complex issue. A good first step could be developing robust and reliable public transportation. replies
Paul Normann Oct 28 2022 at 10:20AM on page 2 Yes Development is almost exclusively focused on building single (nuclear) family housing. We need more variety. We need housing to accommodate multi-generational families, large families, and housing that can produce revenue through rental of a portion of that housing unit. replies
Paul Normann Oct 28 2022 at 10:14AM on page 2 Yes There is a significant shortage of housing especially affordable house that falls below 80% and 50% AMI. Puna has several large subdivisions zoned as agricultural but are not viable agricultural lands because of the lack of soil. Let's increase density in these areas while protecting as agricultural areas with deep soil and a history of viable agricultural production. replies
Paul Normann Oct 28 2022 at 10:07AM on page 4 Yes There is a well documented shortage of healthcare providers in Hawaii County. replies
Paul Normann Oct 28 2022 at 10:06AM on page 4 Yes I would like to see us work to develop more energy micro grids. We need to aggressively incentivize home solar and wind energy generation. Rooftop solar is currently limited, to a great extent, by the utility company. Home energy generation within micro grids could reduce the dependence on imported fossil fuels, reduce home utility costs, and potentially be a revenue stream for homeowners. replies
MsKona Oct 27 2022 at 12:15PM on page 4 No We have far too few police officers in the district of Ka'u! replies
cheryl.tanguay@gmail.com Oct 23 2022 at 11:36PM on page 1 No I've been advised that The Palama la Kona Heritage Preservation Council supports saving these parcels from development, given that they are situated directly makai of the Holualoa Inn and bear several archealogical items that are deemed significant and merit further examination. The proximity to the Heritage trail, the Mamalahoa Highway, as well as to the Keauhou Holua, native Hawaiians as well as to all who treasure the history of Hawaii, are apprecuiative of its direct connection to the Kamehameha lineage. replies
cheryl.tanguay@gmail.com Oct 23 2022 at 11:29PM on page 1 No I cannot see the logic in the County of Hawaii giving 450 units worth of water rights to a developer more than a decade ago while the existing Kona communities have suffered water use restrictions. Isn't that an example of a public utility giving a private business rights over the rights of the other private entities that should have equivalent and pre-existing rights to that water? The same question applies to use of roadways as well as a homeowner's right to "peaceful enjoyment" of their home which will be challenged over the threatened decade of development of the 450 units with construction equipment on our roads Monday through Friday, minimally, plus the 900 + vehicles making at least 1 round trip daily. The developer's EA projected "public transpotation" would be used by residents of the 450 units but the closest bus route is Alii for local access. How would that work? Has the County plans to provide adequate classroom spaces and teachers for these additional children from 450 units? replies
cheryl.tanguay@gmail.com Oct 23 2022 at 11:14PM on page 1 No I don't believe that this development of 450 units would in any way be in harmony with the natural systems involved (watersheds and streams) nor will these building be in harmony with adjacent existing developments. Without a doubt, property values of the existing homes will be negatively affected. replies
cheryl.tanguay@gmail.com Oct 23 2022 at 11:06PM on page 1 No Again, if a parcel under consideration for approval for a 450 unit develpment is bisected by 2 streams that converge downslope on the parcel and, if the developer has already made changes to the natural path of one of these streams in order to improve the saleability of a downslope adjacent lot that had been flooding, wouldn't the Planning Board heed the possibility of serious flooding , washouts, landslides and exclude such a parcel from future development of ANY kind that involved disturbing the mountainside? replies
cheryl.tanguay@gmail.com Oct 23 2022 at 10:52PM on page 1 No I don't believe that appropriate consideration has been given to the effects of cutting roadways and adding water impermeablle structures to steep terrain which is bisected by natural streams. Whatever topsoil and groundcover that are currently acting as watershed will be at best disrupted and at worst irretrievable damaged. Downslope is Queen K and the section of the Kuakini Highway that was devastated by a washout not long ago. replies
casar Oct 22 2022 at 7:55PM on page 4 Yes More solar, whether it's in large farms or made cheaper on rooftops. How about pumped storage hydro? We got plenty mountains... and plenty ocean water. replies
casar Oct 22 2022 at 7:54PM on page 4 No I'm not sure why anyone would think so! Our largest power plant is still burning fossil fuel. replies
casar Oct 22 2022 at 7:53PM on page 3 No Not really, because bus schedule hours are so erratic since they're only really designed to serve the needs of hotel workers. Most other people need to go to work, school, and appointments at other times. Regular (once an hour, etc) bus schedules, as well as bus shelters, could serve the needs of the whole community and help encourage the right types of development. replies
casar Oct 22 2022 at 7:45PM on page 2 No Definitely not. Ahupua'a were aligned with mauka-to-makai corridors, and we have built the exact opposite with our belt road. replies
casar Oct 22 2022 at 7:43PM on page 1 No Some much better than others. Tend to be more well preserved on the leeward coast. replies
casar Oct 22 2022 at 7:41PM on page 1 No There are a lot of areas where it's hard to tell what access is permitted. I know a lot of named trails, but I also know many places in Hamakua where there are trails people use, but I honestly have no clue who owns the land and what the rules are. There need to be many more trails where it is clearly stated. I grew up on O'ahu hiking a LOT, and we are really lacking trails compared to there (considering our landmass). replies
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