Island Breath: Monkeypods in Koloa Threatened

INDEX - PLANNING

SUBJECT: KOLOA ENVIRONMENT

SOURCE: CAROL ANN DAVIS-BRIANT carolanndavis@hawaii.rr.com

POSTED: 18 DECEMBER 2007 - 8:45pm HST

Demonstrations to save Monkeypod Trees

image above: demonstration in Koloa to save Monkeypods 12/18. Photo by Carol Ann Davis-Briant

Saturday Demonstrations for Monkeypods
by Carol Ann Davis-Briant on 17 December 2007

Today's demonstration but it went very well. People were orderly and well behaved and cars passing except for one or two behaved well. We are meeting again on Saturday in Koloa.

WHAT:
Demonstration to "Save the Monkeypod Trees"

WHEN:
Saturday, December 22nd, from 10:00am - 5:00pm

WHERE:
Koloa across from Lappert's Ice Cream Shop

TARGET:
People from the Knudsen estate to write to:

The owner is:
Eric Knudsen
PO BOx 415
Verdi NV 89439

The developer is:
David Nelson
Nelson Development
6960 Orchid Lake Rd suite 200
West Bloomfield MI 48322
dnelson@nelsoncos.com

FOR INFO:
Koloa Community Association
Carol Ann Davis-Briant
phone: 808-742-6523, 742-2111
email: carolanndavis@hawaii.rr.com
write: 2381 Kipuka Street, Koloa HI 96756

image above: Lappert's Ice Cream in Koloa opposite Monkeypod trees. Photo by QT Loung.

Editor's note: We apologize for missing the notice about the demonstration today about in Koloa to "Save the Monkeypod Trees". It took place from 10am to 6pm across from Lappert's Ice Cream shop in Koloa at site of trees. Carol has reminded us another demonstration is planned for this Saturday. Please contact her for details.]

Koloa's Monkey Pod Trees to Die!
by Carol Ann Davis-Briant on 17 December 2007

Approximately 16 of the 24 historic monkey pod trees are scheduled to be cut down in order to build nearly 80,000 sq. ft. of retail franchise shops. To kill these healthy trees is invasive. These trees have been a part of our community for over 80 years!

Most of the trees from the post office, along Koloa Road and around the corner on Maluhia Road, across from the existing shops will be gone forever if we do not stop this senseless corporate act. The post office is being relocated to a flood zone. We refuse to trade our trees for T-shirts & lattes.

An out of state developer, Nelson & Co, from Michigan and The Knudsen Trust from Kauai will be chain sawing down these beautiful, historic trees that are treasures of our community. Plans are for the tree's to be cut down beginning January 2. The developer has been unwilling to discuss the trees with the community from the beginning. We were relieved when the planning commission actually turned the project down because it does not meet our historic town's regulations. The County Planning Commission was threatened with a lawsuit for 6.5 million dollars only because the planning department did not issue a report within 60 days after receiving the application. A settlement was made by a frightened administration without input or knowledge of the Koloa community or the Kauai County Council.

The building of this shopping center is going forward against the wishes of the community. The thing that most upsets people on Kauai is the cutting down of very old (50 to 100 years old) monkey pod trees. The buildings will tower over Koloa especially without the large trees in front of them to soften the impact of the large buildings.

Please show your support by calling or writing to our decision makers

Send letters to the editor to: letters@kauaipubco.com
Mayor Brian Baptiste - 241-6300
Rep Ronald Sagum - 652-9811
Council Chair Kaipo Asing -241-6371
Rep James Tokioka - 586-6270
Senator Gary Hooser 808- 652-4279
Congresswoman Mazie Hirono 808-550-2006
Kaua`i Visitors Bureau - Sue Kanoho - 245-3971
Garden Island Newspaper - Adam Harju 245-3681
Ron Wiley KONG radio - 245-9527
KKCR radio, talk show schedule at kkcr.org - 826-7771

Is this the last Christmas for Old Koloa Town's Historic Monkeypod trees?

Koloa Community Association
Carol Ann Davis-Briant
phone: 808-742-6523, 742-2111
email: carolanndavis@hawaii.rr.com
write: 2381 Kipuka Street, Koloa HI 96756

SUBJECT: KOLOA ENVIRONMENT

SOURCE: CAROL ANN DAVIS-BRIANT carolanndavis@hawaii.rr.com

POSTED: 11 DECEMBER 2007 - 7:15am HST

Koloa's historic monkeypod trees to be detroyed

image above: GoogleEarth view of monkeypod trees along Koloa Road near Maluhia Road

by Carol Ann Davis-Briant on 10 December 2007

Louie Abrams and I will be meeting with the Garden Island on Thursday to get some information into the paper about the problem with all but 8 of Koloa's historic trees on the Knudsen estate being cut down. I found out from the arborist that presently the plan is to remove all the trees on Koloa road including the three at the post office to make way for shops. There are a few trees that will remain in the interior but we will not see them from the street because they will be blocked by buildings. This is the property from and including the post office to the corner across from Sueokas store.

The community needs to move on this fast because work will begin on January 2nd. We need to make calls to various people and write letters to the Garden Island. Talk to eveyone you know-email them...have them call members of the Knudsen family. Some people to call are: Sinclair Bill, Eric Knudsen, Peter Baldwin, Celcie Williams, Katie Horowitz(Oahu), the Toulons. The only senior member of the Kneudsen family still living is Betsy Toulon. Some members of the family do not agree with everything that is happening. I am sure that the member of their family who planted those trees is rolling over in his/her grave.

Our monkey pod trees are what makes our town...without them we would be just another town. The Knudsen estate is building shops, a gourmet grocery store and a resturant starting at 4 to 6 foot evevation above the street to be out of the flood zone which means we look at the underside of a building when we drive into Koloa. Trustee for the estate is Stacey Wong. He sued the county for 6+ million dollars because the planning director did not sign some papers in a timely manner. The county was afraid of the suit and settled giving the estate permission to do whatever they wanted. Mr Wong refuses to meet with members of the community to discuss anything. His secretary said the county attorney says he can not. The county attorney says this is not true.

Koloa's six-million dollar trees are about to be chain-sawed.Here are some ideas for something to say:

• Trees within our urban forest improve our air, protect our water, save energy, and improve economic sustainability.

• Trees are on the job 24 hours every day working for all of us to improve our environment and quality of life.
From an essay by Kathleen Alexander.

• The Superferry may not a good idea but can be stopped in the future. Once the trees are gone it is too late.

• The people of Kauai will not trade trees for t-shirt shops.

The cutting down an old tree can not be reversed-it is final.

• This is the last Christamas for the Monkey pods of Koloa.

• Better Midler was fined for cutting down trees.

• The trustee of the Knudsen estate refuses to meet with the Commuity to answer any questions about the trees.

• The trees are a living record of all that has occurred here. If they could talk....they have lived through it all and can live on beyond us.

• Save Koloa's historic Monkey pod trees.

• Killing a healthy historic tree to make a building, when we have plenty of room is invasive.

• Koloa was the first of two places in Hawaii to plant a monkeypod tree (the two trees were brought in from South America).

Email letters to the The Garden Island News editor to: letters@kauaipubco.com

Make calls to:
Mayor Brian Baptise ph 241-6877

Council Chair Kaipo Asing 24-16371
Councilman Tim Bynum 241-6371
Council person Joann Yukimura 241-6371
Council person Charlene Iseri-Carvalho 241-6371
Councilman Mel Rapozo 241-6371
Councilman Jay Furfaro 241-6371
Councilman Ron Kouchi 241-6371

(leave a message if they are not in and they can call you back.)

Calls to the radio stations:
Ron Wyley KONG 245-9527 calls before 6am can get through mon-Fri 4:30-10am (Sat 7am-10am-easy to get through)
KKCR 826-7774

Carol Ann Davis-Briant
for the Koloa Community Association
808-742-6523, 808-742-2111
2381 Kipuka St
Koloa HI 96756

see also:
Island Breath: Koloa Village Plaza Plan 8/9/06
Island Breath: Koloa-Poipu Moratorium 7/23/06

www.islandbreath.org

Pau