As you well know, there has been a lot of controversy over the construction of a 350 room luxury resort hotel at the former Coco Palms site. In order to develop the hotel, the current would be developer, RP21 Coco Palms LLC (RP21), submitted plans to the County for building permits that show there intended use of State Crown Land, Conservation Land and 3 parcels covered by revocable permits (RP). RP21 even obtained building permits from our County to construct a wedding chapel on state land without first securing a lease or revocable permit from the State. In a meeting on April 14, 2023, Dawn Chang, the new Director and Chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, asked how such a thing could happen without notifying the State. There was a lot of controversy and many FOM members testified on April 14, 2023 because RP21 contractors had cut down at least 75 healthy coconut palm trees from state land without prior notice to or consent from the State. On April 19, 2023, the Office of Conservation and Coastal Land Management served RP21 with a Notice of Violation and Order requiring them to Cease the activity and answer for the trespass and damage to state property. That matter is still ongoing. On Thursday December 7, 2023, the Land Board will once again consider the issue of whether or not to extend permits to RP21 for the state land even though their violation action is still pending. We need as many as possible to submit written testimony to the Land Board no later than Tuesday December 5, 2023 at 9:00 am by directing an email to [email protected] . In the subject of your email, if you feel as we do, that this congested intersection near Wailua River and Kuhio Highway will not work for such a development without great adverse impact to the quality of life for those travel the roads nearby, for the nearby waste water treatment plant that is already ailing, for the safety of the ocean and river whose waters are very likely to be polluted with the demolition and construction because of a high water table and direct communication between the site’s drainage canal behind the hotel which runs under Kuamoʻo to the Wailua River. In the subject of your email please use the phrase “Strongly Oppose Land Agenda Item D-6 12-7-23”. We really need as many comments filed with the Land Board as possible. When we last were before them in April 2023, the Land Board members commented that they were impressed by the numbers in the community who sent in comments. Let’s do it again!