• Nothing changes • Kamalani Kai needs safe area • A&B’s Southside impact Nothing changes I don’t usually read William Rusher’s columns because they have that shrill McCarthy tone from the witch-hunts of the 1950s. For whatever reason, however, I
• Nothing changes
• Kamalani Kai needs safe area
• A&B’s Southside impact
Nothing changes
I don’t usually read William Rusher’s columns because they have that shrill McCarthy tone from the witch-hunts of the 1950s. For whatever reason, however, I read his “Who’s Lying” piece in Saturday’s edition (01/10/04) of The Garden Island. Nothing has changed, I see. He is still as hysterical as ever and even nastier than I remembered. The point of his “Who’s Lying” tirade was to take to task a columnist with whom he disagreed. Disagreement I accept; petulant character misrepresentation I do not. I believe he demeaned himself considerably when he referred to Ms. Ruth Rosen, the columnist who angered him so, as “a bush-league liberal columnist whose vaporings appear every so often in the San Francisco Chronicle.” As far as I am concerned, he terms “bush-league” and “vaporings” more than adequately sum up Mr. Rusher’s skewed view of the world. By the way, will someone please tell him that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek and his warlords are unlikely to return to Mainland China anytime soon?
WILLIAM J. SMITH
Kalaheo
Kamalani Kai needs safe area
I am writing about to ask the public for help regarding beach access and the safety of our keiki at the Kamalani Kai Bridge play area.
Anyone visiting the Bridge can see that the play area doubles as beach access. In the small area right between the two wonderful slides is a roadway! In a period of, say an hour, one can see as many as 30 large vehicles drive through! If this wasn’t so scary to me as the mother of a 4 year old, I would laugh out loud.
A couple of months ago I called in to a local radio talk show to share my concern. One of the following calls was from a surfer who stated that there used to be another access very close to this one but that it had been blocked with boulders when the Bridge was built. He too, seemed uncomfortable about having to go through the Playground.
I have communicated to our local representation. They tell me that there is very vocal opposition to closing the playground access -from fishermen. I have a hard time believing that these folks wouldn’t also want our (and their ) keiki to play safely, especially when there is other access that could be made available.
Tim Bynum tells me that this other (blocked) access will soon become family beach area for a planned campground.
I think we need to think this through before building on to this recreational area. This place is a true tribute to the love this community has for it’s children. Can’t we also provide them with at least minimal protection?
Can we have a vehicle free playground and beach access? I think so!
I invite everyone – surfers, fishermen, parents, Aunties and Uncles to stand up for the keiki by talking to your neighbors, calling the Mayor and City Council and urging the Friends of Kamalani Kai to do something about this issue immediately.
If we don’t and the worst should happen, How will we live with ourselves?
Phoebe Gibbs
Kapahi
A&B’s Southside impact
The County should deny the request by Kuku’ila Development Co. (A&B) for the the expansion of a “Visitor Destination Area” from 106 to 1002 acres on their Poipu property. The County should not be intimidated or seduced into approving this project by the KDC’s offer to build only 1500 units where they think 3400 units are allowable.
The County should heed the requirements of the Coastal Zone Management Act (Chapter 205A, HRS ) that was adopted by the State and counties. In part the CZM requires the county…
“To protect, preserve, and where desirable, restore or improve the quality of coastal scenic and open space resources.” and “To insure that … private facilities and improvements… such as … visitor facilities, are located, designed, and constructed to minimize adverse impacts in the coastal zone area.”
The CZM requires that the County use a permit system within a well defined Special Management Area .
The County is required to use the SMA permit restrictions to evaluate Kukui’Ula Development. The SMA regulations determines significant adverse effect on the environment if the project…
A) Substantially affects the economic or social welfare and activities of the community.
B) Involves substantial secondary impacts, such as population changes and increased effects on public facilities, streets, drainage, sewage and water systems.
C) In itself has no significant adverse effect but cumulatively has considerable effect upon the environment .
This Kukui’Ula Project will have a profound and negative effect on public recreational facilities of the South Side. The only well developed park on the south shore, Poipu Beach Park, is already overburdened. Just imagine another 3000 beachgoers between Brenneke’s Beach and Lawai Beach looking for a place to park and lay down a towel.
The Kukui’Ula Project will also have a negative impact on auto traffic from Po’ipu up through Koloa Town and on through the Tree Tunnel to the County Highway. It is likely that the project will generate thousands of trips a day, soon requiring a traffic light at the intersection of Maluhia Road and the Kaumaulii Highway. Won’t that be fun for everyone west of Puhi.
For the good of Kaua’i, the County should use the regulatory means at its disposal to stop this project. If KDC and A&B want to make money on their agricultural land , why don’t they grow bio-diesel corn and help wean us from expensive middle east oil?
Juan Wilson, Architect
Hanapepe
