Planning Commission approves comments for La'au EISBy: David Lichtenstein. Molokai Times, 25 February 2008The Molokai Planning Commission reconvened its meeting of Feb. 13 on Feb. 19 to finalize its comments submitted to Molokai Properties Limited in response to the most recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the La‘au Point development plan.MoPC Staff Planner Nancy McPherson composed a letter based on the comments submitted to her from the commissioners. Along with that will be written submissions from Alton Arakaki, Steve Morgan, Glenn Teves and Kahualaulani Mick to be included with the commissioners' comments. Even after these submissions, commissioners still had questions about the language of the DEIS.“How do we define such things as ‘adequate?'” Commissioner Steve Chaikin asked McPherson. Chaikin wondered what requirements MPL would need to demonstrate to show adequate water supply for the project to create 200 luxury homes near Molokai's southwest corner.Chaikin also questioned how the conservation zones will be set up within the development area. McPherson said that subzones will be created in the Covenants, Codes and Restrictions to specify these areas.“These subzones are critical and haven't yet been determined between MPL and the DLNR (Department of Land and Natural Resources),” said McPherson. In discussing the CC&Rs, MoPC Chairman DeGray Vanderbilt wondered why MPL would have the ability to change the language within the CC&Rs.“The EC (Molokai Enterprise Community) Land Use Committee voted 22-0 that CC&Rs could not be changed,” said Vanderbilt. “That's already a major violation in my mind.”Commissioner Joseph Kalipi also commented: “The Molokai Ranch Master Plan is one of the greatest plans I have ever seen. The plan has many great incentives. But in saying that, it doesn't mean anything about whether or not it should go forward … a lot of activists are showing us what is not adequate in the plan.“In reviewing and understanding water, the plan will never be adequate unless we can resolve these issues … There are other things that if we can't figure out we shouldn't even go to second base. We can't have an actual analysis (of water) if we don't know the present resource,” said Kalipi.Commissioner Lynn DeCoite was critical of MPL, doing business as Molokai Ranch, in her comments: “Molokai Ranch does not want to work with us. What does that say when they withdraw from the Water Working Group?” Molokai Ranch had recently withdrawn from the WWG, a group of local, county and state water stakeholders, citing existing legal questions over water use that need to be resolved before they will participate. When DeCoite became critical of Molokai Ranch, Chaikin cautioned the commissioners to remain neutral and reserve judgment on the larger issues of the development.He reminded the commissioners to just focus on the environmental impacts that the plan presents. “If we act prematurely things may come up and that may create problems down the road,” said Chaikin. To gain a better understanding of some of the relevant water issues, Chaikin asked if the U.S. Geological Service could make a presentation to the MoPC in regards to their studies of Molokai water.Vanderbilt mentioned that the USGS has been part of the WWG and any documents that come from this group can be shared with the commissioners. Chaikin then raised the question of why MPL would submit the DEIS during the Makahiki season. It was suggested that this may have been culturally insensitive to the people of Molokai. A motion was passed unanimously for this question to be asked of MPL.
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