To Neighbors in the Moloa'a Area:

My name is Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram.  I am a home-owner and full-time resident in Moloa’a. I’m not only a home-owner, but also a farmer, care-taker, and steward of the beautiful land on which my partner and I reside. We care deeply about our property, our neighborhood and our community. We are very active community members.

We are aware of a new potential subdivision development, Parcel ID 490110130000, pending for approval for Moloa’a Ranch.

This petition is in opposition of the development and expresses a strong objection to the proposed new subdivision within our community.

We believe that this development would have detrimental effects on the character, infrastructure, and quality of life in our neighborhood.

This petition requests signatures of other home-owners and Hawaii residents in our neighborhood who are in opposition of the development.

This is an imminent issue for everyone living in the Moloa’a area.

The following objections and concerns will be voiced at the upcoming hearing:

Overcrowding and Strain on Infrastructure: Our neighborhood is already experiencing strains on its infrastructure, including roads, resources, and utilities. The addition of a new subdivision would only exacerbate these issues, leading to increased traffic congestion, overcrowded roads, and increased strain on water and sewage systems.

• Koolau Road is not to current county specifications. It is not a legal county road. The road is deteriorating, and it cannot support our current residency as it is. Children, animals, and active elderly play on and use this road daily and are already at risk of getting hit by cars attempting to share the road. If this new development were to be approved, it would create further stress, traffic, congestion, hazard, and risk to the area.
• The addition of twenty+ homes is significant for this small area. If that many homes are approved for building to the neighborhood, it would add more stress to a small road infrastructure that can’t support the current population.
• Constructing and developing twenty+ new homes in our small, quiet neighborhood will create much disturbance and congestion. Many of the land-owners desiring to develop the properties do not live on island, so they will not be inconvenienced. The residing neighbors in our small and close-proximity community will be the ones to experience the disturbance and stress of the development.
• In addition to the road not being to current county specification, there is not adequate infrastructure outside of the developing property area to accommodate the residing neighbors.
• It is noted that a new road or entrance would need to be created for the subdivision. The entrance, which is currently a dirt road, is set to cross-section right in front of private residential properties. This will not only bring in more traffic directly from the highway, but also create a large disturbance in our neighborhood. The road cannot support the extra traffic.
• There are not enough sufficient water systems or supplies to support this development in our area. Insufficient water supply has already been an on-going issue for years amongst current residents.

Safety Hazards: There are many safety hazards that need to be addressed to properly illuminate what issues could be exacerbated if more construction, development, traffic, and homes are to be added to the area.

• The current roads (Koolau and Moloa’a) are already out of current county specification and hazardous in case of an emergency tsunami or fire evacuation. If new homes are added (increasing traffic and population), this will pose even more of a safety risk and challenge in the case of an emergency evacuation. Not to mention, there are sustained fire risks, due to the fact that there is already a lack of water in the area.
• Traffic is dangerous on both sides of Koolau road as it intersects Moloa’a road, and also near the bridge. This road and area will line the new development. Many neighbors have witnessed several people almost getting hit while walking this blind-corner conjunction and also while crossing the bridge Koolau/Moloa’a on multiple occasions.
• There are multiple blind-corner conjunctions on Koolau Road that are already very risky and hazardous to locals when people speed around these corners. With more traffic this will undoubtedly create more risk.
• Increased traffic and population to this area will cause more congestion and issues down near Moloa’a beach. Parking is already a huge problem. Many neighbors have witnessed the county and first responders struggling to enter the area during called-in emergencies and on other occasions.
• Additionally, there are no fire hydrants in Moloa’a. A fire in the proposed subdivision would be devastating. There is simply not enough water in the area to support more homes.

Environmental Impact: The proposed development would likely entail the destruction of natural habitats, green spaces, and mature trees, leading to environmental damage. This loss of greenery not only affects the aesthetic appeal of our neighborhood but also contributes to the loss of biodiversity and exacerbates issues such as air and noise pollution.

• Pollution already plagues Moloa’a stream. Moloa’a stream consistently tests as one of the dirtiest waterways on Kauai island year after year. Runoff from ground chemicals, trash, and homes that are still on cesspool water systems creates even higher contamination levels and serious ecological concerns. More homes and more people in our area will only intensify this problem, making it unsafe to enjoy our neighborhood and Moloa’a Bay.
• There is no drainage infrastructure in place to accommodate our current neighborhood. Adding more homes will only exacerbate this problem. All of the run-off or drainage flows into Moloa’a stream and then into the ocean.
• The construction and development of this project would create a large amount of run-off. It will increase the amount of damage to the ecosystem, adding more pollution to Moloa’a stream, adversely affecting the reefs, and creating more flooding for downstream homes, which is already a big issue.
• More development will create more pollution and destruction to nature and ruin the habitats of the existing and unique animal life to Kauai.

Negative Impact on Property Values: The construction of a new subdivision often leads to a decrease in property values for existing homeowners. The increased density, changes to the neighborhood's character, and potential strain on infrastructure can deter prospective buyers and diminish the investment value of our properties and homes.

• Many of the surrounding parcels to this development are zoned as agricultural lots. This may affect the tax dollars and zoning of all neighboring lots if approved.
• Moloa’a is known for being an agricultural community. By creating a new subdivision community within this neighborhood, it has the potential to change the zoning for existing parcels. This could, in turn, affect our local businesses and individual financial states.

Lack of Community Consultation: We believe that the developers have not adequately consulted or engaged with the local community regarding their plans. Decisions that affect the future of our neighborhood should involve input from residents who will be directly impacted by these changes.

• No plans have been put into place that improve the overall infrastructure of the entire neighborhood, only for the newly proposed subdivision.
• The entrance and exit plans of the new subdivision have not been discussed with neighbors, and this new traffic will disrupt the accessibility of the entire neighborhood. In addition, the construction will also create disruption and interference.

Preservation of Community Character and Land: Our neighborhood is a very special and unique agricultural area. The introduction of a new subdivision, with a potentially transient population, threatens to erode the very essence of what makes our community special.

We believe in alternative solutions that call forth a planned community vision that will greatly benefit the Aina, community relationships, and future generations.

Moloa’a is a quiet, agricultural area. Those of us who live here, came to be here so that we could live in alignment with stewarding the land and caring for this area. We plead for you to help keep it this way.

While my partner and I are not native Hawaiians, we respect and practice the Hawaiian phrase “Aloha Aina”, to love the land and be connected to all living things.  We must be responsible stewards of the Aina. We believe our voices–and neighboring voices–matter very much in this matter.

In light of the aforementioned concerns, we respectfully urge the relevant authorities to reconsider the approval of the proposed subdivision development.

We trust that our objections will be given due consideration, and we stand ready to participate in any further discussions or consultations regarding the future of our community.

Thank you for your consideration.

Blessings,

 

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram