The question is simply: What do you want your community to look like in 50 years?
This is a question for all of Hawai’i to consider carefully and not just listen to woke attacks. It takes thoughtful planning and is not an elitism, NIMBY or against affordable housing. It is very forward thinking. Here’s our family vote: Our family is very much concerned about the proposed Manoa Banyan Court for all the reasons Les Inouye, Willow Chang and others have cited. The water, the environmental impact and in this tightly packed old community—the one road in and traffic. Don’t be fooled by the marketing - and PR-twisted arguments from LYCA. Everybody should be asking themselves why this is a great idea and its impact on their own communities in the future if this project is allowed. I’m a lifelong resident of Manoa Valley and my grandparents are buried in the Chinese cemetery. They chose to raise us the Valley because of its environment and culture—it’s untouched simplicity and quirkiness. Other old neighborhoods should be aware of the threat similar development can bring to Nuuanu, Pupukea, Sierra Drive, Kaimuki, Waipahu — and support Manoa against this kind of disruption and indiscriminate development. They might be next. A neighborhood is just that — a planned small community without high-rises and shopping malls and parking spilling into homes. Commercial buildings don’t belong deep into the fabric of the natural landscape and a settled community. I hope that Hawai’i precious communities with history and memories will remain untainted by the apparent greed and manipulation of organizations like LYCA. We encourage everyone who loves the culture of the unique small towns in the islands to be very vocal to government leaders and stop Manoa Banyan Court from destroying one of the few places in the islands that hold childhood memories of the past as a forecast of similar ones for future generations simply because of the recognition that 50 years from now, we cared enough to say no and not be fooled by avarice disguised as progress. Maintaining the stability and simplicity of the total environment of Manoa Valley is progress and prescient—a way of practicing the belief in Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka 'Aina I Ka Pono With aloha, Sheila Donnelly Theroux, Paul Theroux, Brendan Donnelly, Rain Ensign
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Long-time Manoa resident Seth Kamemoto produced two new videos to de-mystify how the State Environmental Review process works re: Manoa Banyan Court's (MBC) Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA). Video #1 is about the overall DEA review process and where things stand with MBC. Video #2 is Seth's personal high-level explanation of possible significant community impacts in the DEA and how you can submit a public comment on the MBC DEA before the 23 Jan deadline. 1. Here's what's included on their agenda :
VII. NEW BUSINESS a. University of Hawaii at Manoa Expansion, PRU Projects, Keola Cheng & Nelson Lee b. Manoa Banyan Court Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) Update, Lin Yee Chung Association Representative c. Draft Environmental Assessment Report, Seth Kamemoto d. Resolution: Opposing Manoa Banyan Court DEA as Insufficient Modification to Adequately Mitigate Detrimental Impacts to the Manoa Community. 2. Dial-in information for this meeting: Meeting Link: https://cchnl.webex.com/cchnl/j.php?MTID=m9106c242743bd9278b12e4590ce45e1c Meeting Number: 2491 457 1385 Password: MNB07 (66207 from phones and video systems) Join by Video System: Dial [email protected]. You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number. Join by Phone: 1-408-418-9388 Access Code: 2491 457 1385 3. IMPORTANT: If you have MBC concerns, pls consider emailing your testimony saying: "I am in favor of the Manoa Neighborhood Board Resolution "Opposing Manoa Banyan Court DEA as Insufficient Modification to Adequately Mitigate Detrimental Impacts to the Manoa Community" to: "[email protected]" and "[email protected]". In your email's SUBJ line, write "Submitting Testimony for Manoa Neighborhood Board No. 7". Mahalo! In case you hadn't already read life-long Manoa resident Seth Kamemoto's article in Star Advertiser, 25 Dec 2022: ============================ Manoa project to affect water runoff By Seth Kamemoto In “Hawaiian Lullaby” by Peter Moon and Hector Venegas, first performed by The Sunday Manoa in 1973, are some beautiful lyrics applicable to lush upper Manoa Valley: “Where I live there are rainbows.” In the valley, green with vibrant trees, are “birds filled with song.” And, “I can smile when it’s raining.” Manoa Valley recharges a lot of the island’s freshwater, absorbing it back into the ground to become usable drinking water in 25 years. The upper hillsides see hundreds of inches of rain per year, but even the urban residential areas in upper Manoa get 100 inches of rain in a normal year. Areas like the Manoa Chinese Cemetery, where a large apartment complex — the Manoa Banyan Court — is being proposed on a naturally forested parcel zoned for general preservation and urban planned to be used as green space. This 14.6 acre parcel gets 99.5 inches of rain in an average year, which amounts to 40 million gallons of rainwater falling on the site every year. This proposed development will increase rainwater runoff over 9.5 acres to 70%. The developer estimates the existing runoff for the site to be around 40%, but my observations having lived in the area my entire life lead me to believe that the existing runoff is currently much less, probably less than 10%. Even if it were 40% as claimed, an increase to 70% over 9.5 acres amounts to 7.7 million gallons of water per year of increased runoff, water that is not absorbed and not available as future freshwater. For context, that much water is enough to support around 150 Oahu residents. But I think that’s an extremely low estimate: If runoff is more like 10% today, that would make the runoff increase by 15.4 million gallons per year, enough water to support 300 island residents. I no longer hear children laughing. In my nightmares our children have lost access to adequate freshwater, due in large part to over-development of our island today. Please help me save this place that I love. It’s not just my place; this place serves everyone on our island. And it’s not too late to save it. The draft environmental assessment (DEA) for the Manoa Banyan Court proposal is now open for public comment, through Jan. 23 (see https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/erp/The_Environmental_Notice/ 2022-12-23-TEN.pdf ). And, contact the city Department of Planning and Permitting and demand a full environmental impact statement (EIS) to study all the environmental impacts of this proposal, including but not limited to, impacts on our future freshwater. ------------ Seth Kamemoto is a software engineer and lifelong Manoa resident. ------------ KITV News covered our 23 Dec rally @ Manoa Chinese Cemetery fork/triangle. Mahalo to the KITV New Team!
It's now official: Manoa Banyan Court Draft EA was published today in State's Environmental Notice which kicks off a 30-calendar-day public comment period.
In a letter from DPP's Dawn T. Apuna dated 12 Dec, she writes: "The Department of Planning and Permitting is the approving agency for the action. We have considered every phase of the proposed action, the expected impacts, and the proposed mitigation measures; and we anticipate a finding of no significant impact." Come and join us - we have plenty of new signs and new flyers!
THANKS FOR SHOWING UP to our Rally on Friday, 23 Dec, 4-6pm @ Manoa Chinese Cemetery Fork/Triangle !12/21/2022 Bring a home-made sign and join us for a STOP MANOA BANYAN COURT rally @ fork/triangle of East Manoa Rd / Old East Manoa Rd on Friday (23 Dec) @ 4-6pm to show our strong community opposition to Lin Yee Chung Association's 2nd Draft Environmental Assessment for its massive high-density Manoa Banyan Court development on P2-zoned forested open space preservation land, under the abused auspices of Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 201H-38. 23 Dec marks the official State Environmental Review Program publication date of the MBC Draft EA which kicks off a brief 30 calendar day public comment period, from 23 Dec/Fri thru 21 Jan/Tue. NOW's THE TIME: SHOW UP AND STAND UP for MANOA! Heads up: 2nd Draft Environmental Assessment for Manoa Banyan Court will be formally published in the Hawaii Environmental News/OEQC notice on Friday, 23 December, which triggers a 30-day public comment period.
Long-time Manoa resident Dr. Ellen Sofio calls for preserving the Manoa Chinese Cemetery's forest12/17/2022 In case you haven't seen it, long-time Manoa resident Dr. Ellen Sofio wrote a wonderful discussion piece in Civil Beat on why the the forested P-2 preservation zoned acreage of Manoa Chinese Cemetery should be preserved (and not bulldozed/paved to build Manoa Banyan Court).
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