SPACE gets 6 months to prepare amendments

[dmbwest]

Whhhoooo Greg,

Cannot keep up with you ... LOL !

mahalos !
pog

[Graham]

I have to laugh whenever SPACE gets accused of 'making money' on this and other blogs. SPACE runs on half a shoe string and presently cannot even pay the meager salaries for our four very part time employees. SPACE spent only $26,000 on salaries and benefits for 2011. I am a volunteer, the last paycheck l received from SPACE was in August 2007 when l retired from being the Executive Director.

SPACE can be fairly criticized for some violations of County Code prior to our March 2010 cease and desist order but not for being a 'commercial' entity. We are strictly a non profit. Our annual operating budget is under $90,000. We host a school, we operate a Farmers Market and we run weekly arts classes serving over 80 kids and adults. SPACE serves more people and provides more activities weekly than the Pahoa Community Center and receives zero in County or State funding. The Pahoa Community Center costs taxpayers well over $11,000 monthly just in salaries.

SPACE is able to provide services to our community because dozens of great people volunteer their time and energy and because we have developed what may be the most self sustainable community center in the U.S. For an example of how our style of sustainable development works check out our kids playground which we built for $1,200 and compare it with the $150,000 playground installed by the County at Pohoiki.

To clarify violations for the benefit of all who make judgments without the facts. BJ determined that we were in violation of our SP by having a 25th anniversary celebration on our property, this does not mean that we were in fact in violation. BJ is a lawyer and the Planning Director but she is not a judge. Just because certain neighbors file complaints does not mean they are valid and actually violations. The complaint driven system for code compliance is riddled with problems and desperately needs to be reviewed and revised.

The Planning Dept. has no procedure for determining if complaints are frivolous, fraudulent or vindictive. For example, complaints against SPACE have included the claim that we have a Meth Lab and that my 6 year old daughters birthday party which ended at 5.30pm on a Sunday was a violation. While visitors to SPACE have been described as threatening and violent the only Police arrest for violence in our neighborhood was the man who is our main complainant. Reports of excessive noise make up many of the original complaints prior to March 2010 yet SPACE owns the only decibel meter used to measure noise and never once did we record levels above the permitted 70 decibels at our borders. Most County residents are not aware that on land zoned Agricultural the legally permitted noise level is 70 decibels 24 hours, seven days of the week. This also needs to be reviewed and revised.

Finally l would like to invite anyone who wishes to see and know more about the facts and the reality of SPACE and Bellyacres to come down on a Saturday, visit our Farmer Market and allow me to give you a personal tour. We have nothing to hide.
Mahalo.