It’s been over a month since our County Council signed bills to “purchase” 138 acres of questionably useful land assessed at $599,600 by our real estate tax office. (“County land deal finalized,” The Garden Island, Oct. 22)
This $599,600 land gift was “given” to the county in exchange for an extraordinarily massive surrender of precious “rezoning assests” amounting to “added values” somewhere from $250 million to $500 million for the Lagoons facility, depending on how the re-zoning sites are developed.
That’s a quarter to one-half billion dollars. Now it only takes the mayor’s signature to make this dream come true.
The International Billionaire Investment Group (I-BIG’s I call them) had their rezoning needs satisfied: 65 acres zoned conservation, open and ag re-zoned to 14.6 acres to urban zoning, 19.1 acres Open to Resort, 21.6 acres Open to R-2, and an extension of the Visitor Destination Area boundary for 9.2 acres.
What did our community get? 138 acres presently zoned conservation, open and ag located parallel to the Lihu‘e Airport landing runway; a sliver of land from runway’s edge to state shoreline. Not too good for housing, park, bike path, or hospital.
Any suggestions from the council? How about a recycling center and landfill? Then “we the people” wouldn’t have to buy 327 acres from a mature coffee farm in Kalaheo. We the people would save millions of dollars for a centrally located landfill site.
Landfill sites are allowable according to Federal Aviation Administration’s off-airport proposed construction or alteration. See Part 258 — criteria for municipal solid waste landfills, 40 CFR 258 which governs the development. Food for thought.
John Hoff, Lawa‘i
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