where's the "development"?

[kalakoa]

I would gladly "shop local", if the local stores had what I needed and didn't charge "island price"... I end up getting most things from Amazon.

[punaticbychoice]

Kalakoa:
It has become the same for me.
Only gasoline, groceries (that I don't grow) and utilities
are local.
Or as the Frank DeLima joke goes:
What do you need haoles for?- someones got to pay retail.

[mella l]

quote:

---

Originally posted by kalakoa

Pahoa is nice, but for about the same drive time I can shop in Hilo. So I wonder what's up with Keaau (Hokulani's just closed, and that project behind the Shell has been stalled forever), and how come nobody can open a business anywhere in Mountain View.

If "it's the economy", there wouldn't be a brand new stripmall in Hilo (or a Sports Authority, or plans for a Zippys, etc).

If the plan is "drive everywhere for everything", how about some decent roads? (hahaha)

---

mella l

Art and Science Our Future

http://www.bytheseasoaps.etsy.com/

[Rene Siracusa]

At the risk of returning to the original thread: the Puna CDP is not composed of politicians but by community volunteers whose job is to implement the plan. Not all of the plan can be implemented at once - after all, it is sabout 75 pages long. And many of the goals cost money, which the County finds now in short supply. The Action Committee meets next on 9/11 at 3pm in the Kea'au Community Center. If you want to know what's happening, you can attend. Or you can go on the County website where the various districts' CDP info is posted under the Planning Dept. You can also download the plan itself or look at it at the library.

And by the way, the Puna CDP isn't a promoter of "D" necessarily. It promotes smart growth and in many ways seeks to manage growth so that we don't end up with strip malls and slums.

[kalakoa]

OK, I'll bite.

From where I sit, this county does not have "smart growth", it has "old growth": development is allowed for certain "well-established" people; for others, it's not exactly "forbidden", but actively discouraged by "selective enforcement".

The nice folks at Pearl Bakery eventually gave up after spending all their time and money fighting County; now that building sits empty, thereby not creating any commerce, nor jobs, nor tax revenue. Is that how the PCDP is supposed to work?

At the other extreme, Lucy's Taqueria managed to open in about 45 days, which is consistent with "avoiding sprawl". Maybe that's how the PCDP is supposed to work? Putting everything in Hilo is certainly a form of "growth management"...

[Rob Tucker]

It is true, our planning department under the Kenoi administration plays favorites and the favorites are usually large companies or Hilo ventures and the unfavored are local Puna family businesses. Wish I could say it was different under Harry Kim but it wasn't really. Perhaps Harry Kim might at least replace Bobbie Jean Leithead-Todd.

Vote for Harry Kim I guess.

[kalakoa]

I'm told that a Kim administration means "no development", which is actually preferable to the "development for certain of my buddies" we have with Kenoi.

I would have somewhat more respect for the PCDP if it clearly stated "there will be no development" -- this would at least be "fair".

Gotta wonder how much of our local economy is "swept under the rug" due to the ridiculous expense of compliance, and how much effort is wasted "avoiding the man".

[wax]

The development that occurred in Puna was by in large approved in Kim's years. What development do you see from "Kenoi's" pals?

[Rene Siracusa]

Pearl's Bakery and Lucy's Taqueria never came before the Puna CDP Action Committee. Some of you folks seem not to be fully informed about what the plan actually says or deals with. That is the only reason I can see for some of the comments. The Action Committee does not make any of the final decisions regarding development - it can only make recommendations, and only if the matter is placed on their agenda. Further, all the AC can say about a development proposal is whether it is consistent with the plan or not. That's it folks! We don't have the power you seem to think we do. We are not the Planning Commission.

[kalakoa]

I originally planned to start a business here, but now that I've seen what can happen to those who don't "fit the program", I've decided it's just too risky. I am fairly certain that this is not the intended effect of either Planning or the PCDP -- and it doesn't matter either way, artificially restricting commerce is not useful to "the community", only to "certain people".