Residential Highrises coming to Kaka 'ako Makai (please submit testimony)

Dear friends, please read below and submit testimony.  Our friends at Friends of Kewalos have been fighting to preserve the Kawalo basin for a long time and they need our help.

Aloha Friends, Residential Highrises coming to Kaka 'ako Makai. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has introduced 2 bills (HB 2544 and SB 3122) that are asking to allow residential highrises on their land in KM.  They got this land in April of 2012 from the State of Hawaii to satisfy a long standing debt.  If these bills become law, we will have another Waikiki in making on this last public oceanfront land in Honolulu.  All of our hard work we did in 2006 to work with the legislators who passed unanimously except for one vote, the law to Prohibit Residential development, would be for nothing.   This law stands today, protecting this precious land for public use. Friends of Kewalos encourages you to attend the public hearing to express your opposition to SB 3122 on Wednesday, February 12 @ 3:30 pm Room 224, State Capitol.  If you cannot attend please send in written testimony to oppose SB 3122 @ mailto:HWNtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov?subject=Testimony%20in%20Opposition%20to%20SB%203122 Below find FOK's testimony to use as a guide.  Below that is the hearing notice.  Go for it and make a difference Mahalo. <Friends testimony > Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Senator Maile S. L. Shimabukuro, Chair February 12, 2014 @ 3:30 pm Conference room 224, State Capitol Testimony in opposition to SB 3122 Friends of Kewalos is a non-profit community group dedicated to Protect, Preserve, and Malama Kewalo Basin Park and the surrounding Kaka‘ako shoreline area to ensure continued ocean access and the ability to enjoy the area for future generations to come. Public policy for the Kaka‘ako Makai lands was established in 2006 as a result of a huge People’s movement called “Save our Kaka‘ako”.  People of all ages and walks of life marched to the Capitol with our red shirts and had numerous rallies which resulted in a near unanimous legislative passage of a law prohibiting residential development in Kaka‘ako Makai. Our worst fear is if an exception is allowed to build residential then other landowners will ask for exceptions too and before you know it the law is void and we have another Waikiki in the making.  It is too late for Waikiki, but not too late for Kaka‘ako. In addition, with all the development coming to the Mauka area, it has become more imperative that we keep this land for public use. We stand by this law, and we hope you do too, to keep this last public oceanfront land in Honolulu residential free for all the people to enjoy, now and for future generations. Mahalo for this opportunity to testify and share our manao. Ron Iwami President, Friends of Kewalos <Hearing Notice> THE SENATE THE TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION OF 2014 COMMITTEE ON HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS Senator Maile S.L. Shimabukuro, Chair Senator Clayton Hee, Vice Chair COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND HOUSING Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Chair Senator Sam Slom, Vice Chair AMENDED NOTICE OF HEARING DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 TIME: . 3:30 p.m. PLACE: Conference Room 224 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street A M E N D E D A G E N D A SB 3122 Status & Testimony RELATING TO HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. Requires OHA to conduct a public hearing on any plan or proposal for any residential development in Kakaako prior to submission of the plan or proposal to the HCDA. HWN/EGH, JDL Decision Making to follow, if time permits. Click here to submit testimony to the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs. Testimony may be submitted up to 24 hours prior to the start of the hearing. FOR AMENDED NOTICES: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored. If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda. If you require auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e. ASL or foreign language interpreter, or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the committee clerk at least 24 hours prior to the hearing so that arrangements can be made. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT(808)586-7793. _____________________________________ Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz Chair _____________________________________ Senator Maile S.L. Shimabukuro Chair