Big Island General Plan a Word Salad

Dear Editor,  Nov 5, 2024

I’ve been to four Planning Department meetings giving testimony on the Big Island General Plan (GP) 2045. It’s amazing how the place is not packed with locals in an uproar. Many people have received letters from the Planning Department telling them their property’s land use would change with the GP to “recreation,” which means their property value would drop when they go to sell, or will it to their family. 

The GP includes things like “acquire property,” and “limit vehicle miles traveled”.  What right does the planning department have to take people’s land, and violate the Constitutional right to travel?  

A testifier called the GP a “word salad”. With things like, “The council shall enact zoning subdivision, and other such ordinance which shall contain the necessary provisions to carry out the purpose of the general plan,” she isn’t off base. 

This plan has “zoning” written 74 times. Yet, we’re supposed to believe that it won’t change zoning. It doesn’t literally change it, but it is the means for the change in the future. 

They have a section called, “Bulk Regulations” which has even more rules and fines for homeowners, as if there are not enough hoops to jump through. If homeowners like being told what to do with their property, then this plan is perfect! If they don’t, I hope they’ll be at the next Windward Planning Department meeting on December 5th. 

The Windward Commission chair asked me what I would like to see changed and I told him to bring back the Hawaiian apua’a system and instead of “incentivizing” compliance, which means higher taxes if you don’t comply with the GP, “incentivize” people to grow more food so Hawaii can once again be self-sufficient.

Mahalo,

Michelle Melendez

Hilo, Hawaii

  *   *   *   *   *

$80M is a lot for HPP park

Dear Editor,     Nov 3, 2024

I hope the good people of Hawaii Paradise Park get a great community park and I hope they get it a lot sooner than the four more years anticipated. 

That said...

About 13,000 people...men, women and children...live in Hawaii Paradise Park.  Divide that number into $80 million and the cost of the park comes to $6000 per person or $24,000 for a family of four.

I don't care where the money comes from...Federal, State, local or donors...that is an OUTRAGEOUS sum to spend on a park.  Ask  the people of Hawaii Paradise Park if they would rather have that long delayed park or $6000 per person...about $24,000 per family...in cash to help pay their bills.  

Maybe I am not understanding this proposal properly...or maybe my math is bad...Please show me how this even remotely makes sense. And I would love to hear from our County Mayor, before I vote, as to how he feels about the proposal. 

Aloha,

Don Hurzeler

Kailuia-Kona, Hawaii