Letters: 6-4-17

Kahaluu development a bad idea

Think about it. 306 more timeshares on Alii Drive at Kahaluu is an insane proposition. As stated in WHT May 12, The parking lot at Laaloha/Magic Sands paved over important cultural sites and now has to be dug up and re-configured.

This costs the county a lot of money. Why didn’t we do it right the first time and save some money?

“The parking lot’s closure is necessary to honor commitments the county agreed to with the Hawaii Island Burial Council, State Historic Preservation Division, cultural and lineal descendants, and cultural practitioners in respect of and in furtherance of the preservation of Haukalua Heiau and several other culturally significant sites located on the property,” an announcement by the county stated in the May 12 article.

I wonder if the county is making the same mistake again by considering permits for 306 timeshares across from Kahaluu Beach Park? If the county grants the needed permits, will we be sued down the line for allowing development on top of layers of historic and important cultural sites?

What on Earth is Kamehameha Schools thinking? The sale of this property by them is contingent on whether permits are granted, I hear. Do the decision-makers live in Honolulu and do not understand the important significance of this area to Kona and to all of Hawaii?

Bad idea — 306-plus vehicles added to already congested Alii Drive, aging infrastructure, sea level rise, water salinity issues, stealing potable water from South Kona to use for more North Kona developments, sewer issues, beach water quality, and hundreds more people using the park; what could go wrong?

There should probably be a moratorium on large developments on Alii Drive until the infrastructure of the area is up to snuff, to do anything else is a disservice to residents and our visitor’s vacation experience. Tell the county to forget this bad idea and save us some money on potential future lawsuits by emailing jeff.darrow@hawaiicounty.gov

Shannon Rudolph

Kailua-Kona