USE MY TESTIMONY AS A REFERENCE TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN

 

Aloha Land Use Committee Council members, 

My name is Kamalani Pahukoa, I am a mother raising my children in Hamakuapoko, & Hamakualoa. I have been raised in these communities my entire life, and I have seen the drastic changes, and shift of cultural practices due to the amount of tourism, commercial activity, and developers with the intent to make profit on these lands. I’d like to say that I honor Affordable housing projects, however, this project is act of green-washing, offering only 25% “affordable” at prices that many local families cannot even afford. 

Green-washing means: disinformation by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image. 

The small town of Paia does not have the infrastructure to handle a project like this. 

We had full house audience at Mr. Spee’s Aug. 29th meeting, who heard him loud & clear state that he would meet with community members and kupuna to go over project issues and much needed cultural advise.  His words had no home, as he did not attend any meetings, nor want to host another one with community citizens. He may have all the excuses in the book that I’m sure you will hear later on today. 

This project would significantly and negatively impact the following: Traffic on Hana Highway & Baldwin Avenue, run-off pollution, sewage that is that close to the shore and much more. 

Maui County has massive unresolved issues to tend to right now, we have been fined for years for mismanagement of these county services performance.

The design/construction of the buildings Mr. Spee has presented is far from the towns old historic style. It is modern, and quite an eye sore to those visitors who come to Paia to see the small town it currently is. Our visitors have stated they do not want Paia to change, they do not want more commercial buildings, and they do not support a project that the community is not behind.

I created a petition Opposing this Development and it has 20 thousand signatures of community members from Haiku, Paia, Makawao, Kula, and beyond. 

I hope you do NOT approve this zoning change in favor of this Development, this land should remain agricultural and used for its original intent. If Mr. Spee truly understood what we needed as a community he would see that it is Farmers. We need Farmers to meet our islands demand, to be used as after-school programs, we do not need more acts of Gentrification for the benefit of a few businessmen. 

Again, I believe in affordable housing projects, however, not the fake projects that claim they will have 25% affordable, but end of lowering the percentage when completed. 

Mahalo for your time. 

 

 

 

Gentrification: this process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.