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John Whalen of Plan Pacific (Oahu) is the paid consultatant on the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP). His compilation of the ten Working Group Reports and input from the Steering Committee is available online for those who are interested.
http://www.hcrc.info/community-planning/...7.pdf/view
There are 75 pages of reading there. This draft, as it rewrites and finishes, will be sent to the County Council for consideration as planning and ordinance.
The public's input (you) is invited on all aspects at all times.
Put on your reading glasses...... this may affect you or you may affect it, or both.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Interesting,
I scanned through it briefly. How often our these "Drafts" formulated?
And why was someone from OAHU brought in.
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Coming home soon!
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For Puna this is a rather unique process. The PCDP in scope and depth is new. There is no way to predict what will transpire unless people actually get involved and participate in the process.
I can't answer why the county hired a consultant from Oahu for $250,000. I have met John Whalen and believe him to be competent. There was a sub consultant on transportation who I felt was incompetent - don't know what he cost. Government seems very comfortable spending consultant dollars. It may be that Plan Pacific will be worth every cent. We will know soon. For now it is important to review the drafts and see how they treat the community input and then see whether the community accepts the final plans.
Of course if only a few people, or a few hundred, get involved then those are the ones that will factually affect the future in Puna. The rest will either not care especially or will complain. (My opinion)
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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Rob, what are the nuts and bolts of citizen participation? Will there be public hearings with input/testimony from individuals? I read a lot of it last night and actually would like to support a number of the ideas and proposals, especially in relation to HPP, my own neighborhood. (That focus is not just self-interest. It's what I know the most about, although a lot of ideas for other areas seem good to me, too.) Overall, it seems like a good blueprint for a better future. Of course, we all know that getting the politicians to actually pursue and fund the proposals will be the hardest part. It won't be enough just to "approve" the initiative and then leave it at that. We will have to doggedly push for money to get the job done.
One last thought. Did I miss something, or does the "PreDraft" sort of dance around the issue of what the State should do with Highway 130?
Cheers,
Jerry
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Jerry. I haven't read the full predraft yet. The draft is scheduled, I believe, to be delivered at the Jan. 24th SC (Steering Committee @ Keaau Community Center 5:30 pm).
As far as citizen participation:
1. Take an interest, talk to your neighbors and friends, read up on those areas of concern to yourself and be willing to be open minded and supportive of other groups, neighborhoods and interests.
2. Attend meetings and submit testimony as desired and practical.
3. Communicate with your council representatives directly and as submitted or verbal testimony at council hearings as the PCDP moves forward.
4. Participate in your own HOA group and issues.
5. Consider joining and donating to local groups such as Friends of Puna's Future (FoPF) which is substantially organizing around the PCDP effort. You can contact FoPF by email at FoPF <friendsofpuna1@mail.com> or call me (965-1555).
The biggest message to share with your neighbors is that this is our community plan and our future.... ignore it at your own risk. Local efforts are where the rubber meets the road in politics.....it is possible to have an effect. Each subdivision in Puna may feel they have their own interests but they all share the same obstacles.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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I just glanced at it and theres some nice ideas but there are some Major furballs in the implementation that will lead to uglyness,and will be in court for decades
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Thanks for putting this link up Rob. As you know, like yourself I have been involved since the get go.
Community participation: there has been a process, with ups and downs. One important lesson: only because of unceasing and sometimes very vociferous diligence by the community has this process not been completely hijacked (note Rob's comment re transportation consultant -- I agree with his assessment).
After push, push, push, the Agriculture section has finally been brought almost to what community input was. A few tweeks of emphasis and wording are still needed to make this section what it needs to be.
Transportation section: part of the way there (on the easy parts), but still some contentious issues not clearly addressed (e.g., PMAR).
As Rob said, get involved, stay involved, and make sure that the County knows you will be doing so.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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Ive never seen " transfer of devolpment rights " or "floating zone"ing before does anyone have the proposed or model code for this
The devil is in the detail
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I can't answer specifically to some point you may have noticed in the PreDraft but my family in Connecticut transferred (sold) the development rights to most of the farm acreage to the state. In effect my family received about $500,000 in exhange for about $1.5 million in land value. They had needs that did not include greed so they did the deal. Three things occurred in that event.
1) My family elders acquired funds for retirement without having to sell the property to development.
2) The farm land was preserved for perpetuity for agricultural purposes
3) the tax rate on the affect acres was reduced to it's true agricultural value instead of it developable market value.
It sometimes happens that development rights are sold, traded or otherwise negotiated on interests that are not always money.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Is this report written in legaleze, would it be understood by the average local person or any citizen including myself with not necessarily a degree. And the people who spend 12 hours a day working, can they make the meetings.
There should be an online webpage, with the whole report indexed to regional plans, so you don't need to read the whole thing to find the 2 pages that mention your place will be condemned for a transer station. Plus index of when the hearings will diectly affect you, and you should have priority at that meeting, at least you'd know just why you're there and they know who they're talking to, victims or beneficiaries.
Is oahu the example we want to follow?
Gordon J Tilley
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