Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 146 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to preserve the natural beauty of the North Shore of Oahu and proceed cautiously with increased development which could severely impact Honolulu's infrastructure by calling for a rigorous reexamination of the development expansion plan at Turtle Bay Resort.

The Hawaii Association of Realtors, Life of the Land, Windward Ahupua'a Alliance, Faith Action for Community Equity, the Sunset Beach Community Association, and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this measure. Kusao & Kurahashi, Inc., did not support this concurrent resolution. The Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, The Pacific Resource Partnership, and Hawaii Carpenters Union opposed this measure.

Your Committees find that increased development has an impact on, among other things, a community's environment, culture, lifestyle, and infrastructure. Concerns regarding traffic, affordable housing, water quality, other major developments, and cultural heritage were extensively discussed. Your Committees have concerns that over-development will have a severe impact on a community's cultural heritage and its sense of "place"--a place where people work, play, and live. Your Committees believe that the development at Turtle Bay is based on tourism that is not particularly conducive to a community's stability and that more public meetings should be held to discuss this matter further.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, & Ocean Resources and Energy & Environmental Protection that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 146 and recommend that it be referred to the Committees on Tourism & Culture and Economic Development & Business Concerns.