Mahalo for your time and efforts to Help Save Keauhou Bay from a Bungalow Resort Development.

Join our FREE family concert event at Keauhou Bay April 5th with Maka Gallinger 12pm - 4pm. Go to https://bigislandsupport.com/savekbay/ for more info. 

Please email the Hawai'i Planning and the County Council, and ask them to Amend the 2045 General Plan to designate Keauhou Bay Recreation Land as it is currently designated Resort Land in their plan.

Copy and Past ALL these email addresses: GeneralPlan@hawaiicounty.gov, WPCtestimony@hawaiicounty.gov, LPCtestimony@hawaiicounty.gov, rebecca.villegas@hawaiicounty.gov, heather.kimball@hawaiicounty.gov, jennifer.kagiwada@hawaiicounty.gov, dennis.onishi@hawaiicounty.gov, ashley.kierkiewicz@hawaiicounty.gov, matt.kanealii-kleinfelder@hawaiicounty.gov, michelle.galimba@hawaiicounty.gov, holeka.inaba@hawaiicounty.gov, james.hustace@hawaiicounty.gov

Copy and Paste Subject Title: Amend Keauhou Bay's Land Use in 2045 General Plan to Recreation Land

Write Your Email or Copy and Paste this Email: 

Please Amend Keauhou Bay Land Use to Recreation Land because it was zoned Resort many years ago, before the numerous resorts that now surround Keauhou Bay.

The Cultural Impact Statement Law states, "defined by the state historic preservation division to determine whether an action may have a significant effect on cultural practices, particularly native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices expressly..." https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2020/bills/SB3152_.HTM

Overcrowding Keauhou Bay with another resort will have "significant effects on cultural practices" held in the bay. 

Keauhou Bay is the birthplace of King Kamehameha III; it should be conserved for its historical and cultural significance, such as canoe paddling, fishing, baptisms, life celebrations, unanimous meetings, yoga practices, and more.

Kamehameha Schools wants to make the canoe club smaller to make room for more tourists and this violates the Cultural Impact Statement Law.

If they are allowed to build 43 buildings with 150 rooms, it will bring in hundreds of tourists to small Keauhou Bay as 150 X 3 people equals 450 people. This will overcrowd and pollute Keauhou Bay for years to come.  

Also, the endangered species inhabit Keauhou Bay include the Monk Seal, Green Sea Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, and the Hawaiian Hoary Bat. Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, "The purposes of this Act are to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved..." https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/endangered-species-act

This is an Act their Bungalow Resort will violate because of the pollution their development will cause.

Keauhou Bay is declared "Impaired Water" by US EPA. Under Section 303 D of the Clean Water Act, "...develop lists of impaired waters. These are waters that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states..." https://www.epa.gov/tmdl

Their resort development will contribute to more pollution to Keauhou Bay, thereby violating the Clean Water Act. 

Health.hawaii.gov states Keauhou Bay's Natural Ground Cover has been protecting the bay from golf course pollution for years.  https://health.hawaii.gov/epo/files/2013/09/Stormwater-MS4-Presentation-HEF-7.15.14.pdf

"If polluted runoff reaches the ocean, it can wreak havoc on marine life, including endangered green sea turtles." https://www.chemservice.com/news/polluted-runoff-in-hawaii-endangers-green-sea-turtles/ 

Keauhou Bay should be considered a National Park, "The National Park Service was created in the Organic Act of 1916. The new agency's mission as managers of national parks and monuments was clearly stated.

"....to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/management/organic-act-of-1916.htm

Please read all the reasons to Amend the 2045 General Plan and change Keauhou Bay to Recreation land at https://bigislandsupport.com/kbayinfo/.

End Email

Please also send an email directly to Hawai'i Planning Director Jeff Darrow https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/Home/Components/StaffDirectory/StaffDirectory/121/22

Mahalo for your efforts.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Melendez