Citizens are concerned with the proposed Kawainui Marsh Development Master Plan. We oppose the Master Plan as it is currently drawn, for a variety of reasons. The Current plan is irresponsible both environmentally and economically and We urge you to vote NO with regard to its passing. History: Kawainui is not a typical wetland, park or cultural venue. It is a protected endangered waterbird habitat containing sacred ancient sites that are important to an understanding of early Polynesian settlement of the islands. The flood control function of Kawainui is essential to the safety of nearby communities. It is an integral part of Kailua’s watershed; fed by streams, it is a living sponge, that supports Kailua's aquifer, and ultimately aids in keeping our ocean healthy and clean. Concerns: Preservation versus access: The current Master Plan does not address preservation of the marsh; it addresses how to increase access to the marsh, via over 10 miles of perimeter trails, multiple viewing platforms, and multiple structures with bathrooms and parking lots dotting the perimeter. The scale is large and the impact on the marsh will be large as well. It is thus also of great concern that this conceivably decades long development of a cherished habitat and green space will be covered by only one Environmental Impact Statement. Kawainui needs protection not development. Why are structures a problem: The minute you build one structure on the perimeter of Kawainui, regardless of how you mitigate access, parking, water and pollution runoff, etc., you've altered the ability of the marsh to thrive there. And when you add more than one, each one further infringes on the marsh's ability to sustain itself. In time, it will become a eutrophic swamp, with no ability for water circulation and no ability to exist as a bird and wildlife life haven. The only way to preserve the marsh for its historic and cultural worth is to NOT build anything there, but rather to protect and maintain the existing marsh properly. Traffic: The proposed Master Plan does not address the added traffic in adjacent communities and access roads. The addition of buses and cars into surrounding ill-equipped neighborhoods (in particular the Pohakupu neighborhood near Ulupo Heiau); the addition of canoe halau traffic and parking on Mokapu Saddle Road, an area already overburdened at rush hour; the additional traffic outflow from the Kapaa Quarry Road onto Mokapu Saddle Road, an already overburdened intersection; the additional traffic along the Kapaa Quarry road, in an area that is destined for more traffic as the Kapaa Industrial Complex expands; the additional traffic at Hamakua and Kailua Road, an already unwieldy intersection to navigate at any hour. This Master Plan takes none of these issues into consideration. Security: This development will be a draw for unwanted activity and the homeless; the plan does not address how this is to be stopped or dealt with. The state can not handle the infractions (drug use, etc.) happening currently at Ulupo Heiau and the dike walk. The homeless populations in these areas have increased dramatically over the last decade. This activity will surely continue to increase with the addition of parking lots, bathrooms, shelters, etc.. The current Master plan does not adequately adress these issues. Maintenance of facilities: The current dike path is already littered with trash and dog feces, to say nothing of the graffiti appearing there regularly; the plan does not address how it is going to monitor and maintain all of these new structures as well as the dike path. Kailua beach park, undoubtedly Kailua’s finest attraction, is a great example of how one of the best beaches in the world is embarrassingly ill-maintained in terms of its facilities. Bathrooms with broken toilets, graffitied walls, heavy homeless populations are the current norm at the Kailua beach parks. How can we expect the buildings proposed in this master plan to be serviced any differently? This Master Plan takes none of these issues into consideration The current Kawainui Marsh Development Master Plan is flawed in many ways. It is dramatic in scale and will drastically alter the function and aesthetic of Kawainui for all future generations. The project should not be allowed to proceed in its current proposed form. Aloha