• Where is the EIS? • Independent traffic survey needed • Little understanding of disabled • Be responsible for pets Where is the EIS? The “Good Neighbor,” Mr. Heller (Coconut Beach Development) and his rah, rah, rah pitch (March 9,
• Where is the EIS?
• Independent traffic survey needed
• Little understanding of disabled
• Be responsible for pets
Where is the EIS?
The “Good Neighbor,” Mr. Heller (Coconut Beach Development) and his rah, rah, rah pitch (March 9, letters) for fast development approval was lacking considerably in any substantial validation to proceed as he demands.
An important fact to consider is the illegality of the approvals that are churned out by this county.
All infrastructures have been neglected and poorly maintained for over a decade. NO more developments should have or should be approved. There has been rampant approval absent the planning due to mediocre thinkers, easily pressured commissioners and corruption.
I was thinking it must be easy for members of our county government — council, planning commission, mayor — to cast their individual vote to approve anything because the other members of the panel also vote, and SOLE blame for catastrophe and quick demise of the island won’t fall in their lap. But it does, because each of them are knowingly responsible for the consequences of their approving vote. Great legacies.
What Heller is saying in his letter is directed not at the community, but at the people who will give him what he wants. He is attempting to placate the commissioners and council by giving them a back door — wiggle room to fast track approval of his development without fear.
Some $12 million? Whoopee! For help with infrastructure? A pitiful, pitiful drop in the bucket.
Especially when you factor in the social-environmental-economical impacts these types of self-serving developments are causing. And law-suits.
CBD, you don’t deserve to have your feet on this ‘aina. Can you demonstrate the required cultural awareness? Somebody do a one-on-one with Heller, “The good neighbor.”
Bryan Baptiste, I have in my possession a petition for a moratorium on development with over a thousand names of tourists and residents. I can deliver a thousand names a week. Would you care to see it?
Where is the EIS? Where is the EIS and where is the EIS?
Independent traffic survey needed
Last fall I attended a meeting of the Koloa Association at which various county officials explained the road developments in Po‘ipu. The increased road use was projected from a road use survey done by the developers.
The developer’s survey is inadequate because it was taken only when there is the least amount of traffic on the area’s roads. The survey did not include summer vacation, Christmas vacation or spring break. Po‘ipu has a large visitor population with a hotel occupancy rate ranging from 30 to 100 percent. There is a lot more traffic during these periods.
The county needs to conduct its own independent traffic survey. The planning based on the present survey will lead to clogged roads that can only be cured by additional road improvements. Let’s get it right the first time.
Little understanding of disabled
I was surprised to read the letter from Stan Godes (Forum, letters, March 1) regarding the article about access to the restrooms at Wal-Mart. It is clear some people have little understanding about people who have disabilities or about the laws that support people who have disabilities.
Any public restroom is required to be accessible to everyone in the public, including people in the public who have disabilities. If the accessible stall is being used by someone without a disability or the entrance of the restroom itself is blocked by shopping carts, demonstration tables, plants, ashtrays or any type of clutter, the bathroom is simply not accessible to people with disabilities and any accessible features in the restroom itself are all for nothing. If you’re a person with a disability and you can’t access the accessible stall, why bother going though all the trouble of getting into the restroom?
It’s far more challenging for someone with a disability to have to find another restroom and he frequently uses the Wal-Mart restroom. He’s lucky he can frequently access the restroom entrance and frequently access the restroom stall. If he doesn’t see folks with disabilities in the restroom chances are the restroom isn’t accessible to get into. After shopping carts, demonstration tables, lines to the courtesy counter or the lay-away counter are blocked by a variety of barriers — on any given day — and it’s hard to maneuver, a person with disabilities would notice such barriers. It’s really hurtful when people without disabilities make the kind of comments Mr. Godes made in the newspaper without considering the frustrations of not being able to use a public facility.
Mr. Godes is right: no one should be treated superior. If Mr. Godes can access the Wal-Mart restroom frequently, my husband (who has a disability) should be able to access the restroom as frequently because that is what “EQUAL ACCESS” is all about.
Be responsible for pets
In the March 14 issue, Lorna Brun (Forum, letters) cautions people in Kalaheo that “an empty head” person is poisoning leashless dogs in that area with antifreeze.
Unless one has actually seen this person doing such a thing, is it not equally likely, perhaps even more likely that because these dogs were off their leashes they got into some half opened or broken container of some chemical and were poisoned that way?
Why does it have to be that some maniac is running around killing dogs? As I have been arguing for several months now, take personal responsibility. Lack of personal responsibility seems to be rampant in this country — it’s always someone else’s fault — everybody is a victim. Rather than blame some faceless, evil, animal-hating killer, when you don’t even appear to have any evidence to back it up (I would have thought you’d provide such evidence if you had it), why not just accept the responsibility for keeping your pets on a leash or in your own yard — that is the only way you can be sure that they are safe and not wreaking havoc on the neighborhood.
If you have lost three dogs in six months from this, is it not remotely possible that there is a problem with how you are caring for them? Not to be crass or anything, but please stop dreaming up boogeymen.
