A Meeting With Bill Frampton

Friday, January 13, 2013, I had a unique opportunity to sit and have a chat with Bill Frampton (one of the developers for the proposed Olowalu Town.

I’ve only ever seen Mr. Frampton and Mr. Ward at the testimonies that take place at the Council Chambers where we’re practically fighting against each other rather than talking to each other.

I was supposed to meet with both Bill Frampton and Dave Ward, but circumstances prevented me from meeting Mr. Ward.

I was very nervous at first. I had a lot of serious questions I wanted answered right away and I was anxious to get started.

However, my little interview ended up turning into more of a chat with Bill Frampton.

He shared with me some of his childhood, how he was one of five children. He told me a bit about his father, Gary Frampton, who (apparently) is one of the founders of Big Brothers Big Sisters. He went to a school called Humbolt State where he learned about the redwood forests, told me stories about how he used to be a part of a small activist group who was opposed to logging, he used to work for Goodfellow, had a radio show called Small Town Maui and other little tidbits about himself and his family.

It was strange to be talking to him in such a casual way. The only time I’ve ever seen Frampton and Ward was at the County Council chambers where we practically protest against each other stating reasons as to why or why not we should or shouldn't build Olowalu Town.

We talked and talked for about two hours in front of Starbucks at Kaahumanu Mall.

He shared with me some of the reasoning behind his project and there was one that stood out above the rest.

Frampton and Ward do not own the land out at Olowalu.

A man named Peter Martin does.

Olowalu is cut into different plots. Some are owned by Peter Martin, some are owned by other people Peter Martin sold the land too and some plots are owned by the already existing residents of Olowalu.

Basically, Frampton and Ward want to build Olowalu Town so that they can control what is built there instead of Peter Martin selling the land to different people who can do whatever they want with the plots they buy.

To me that made a lot of sense.

As I talked with Mr. Bill, it really felt like he understood what some of the dangers are when building Olowalu Town.

He knew about sedimentation, run off and why the reefs are important, but he still feels that Olowalu Town is the best option for the land because he understands and learned about it as well.

He told me some of the stories about when he and some colleagues were first starting the Olowalu Town Project back in 2005. He learned that Olowalu is a place of refuge, that it is sacred and learned more about the land from some of the Olowalu residents.

I’m still VERY opposed to this Olowalu Town. But at this point, it’s starting to look like the only option we can make at this point…

Unless the Council can claim that land as either agricultural land or some kind of monumental land (like Iao) Olowalu Town will come to be…

To correct myself from a previous entry I made earlier, Olowalu Town is not technically passed.

Mr. Bill said the process still has a long way to go, (the State Land Use Commission and then back the Planning Commission and County Council again) but he seemed confident that his plan would pass.

Also, I emailed Mr. Bill a list of questions which he said he answer and email them back to me.
The list of questions are as follows:

-What is Olowalu Town?

            -How many units will be built?

            -How many units are affordable?

            -Will there be luxury homes?

            -What influenced you to start this project?

            -How long has this project been in the making?

            -There’s concern about a boat ramp and seawall being built at Olowalu, is

this true?

            -As the town is being built, will the both of you be on sight throughout the

entire Project to ensure that it is being built correctly?

-What kind of people do you think will move into Olowalu Town?

-How affordable will your affordable housing be? Could you give me an

example?

-There has been “gossip” about the people wanting to turn Olowalu into

A historic monument area. What are your thoughts on this?

-After you’ve cleared out Olowalu, what do you plan to do with all of the

Flora (grass/bushes/trees) that you cut down?

-Maui is experiencing a drought and there are a lot of concerns about water

Being redirected. Where will the water be directed from?

-Do you have an evacuation plan for Olowalu Town? Since it lies in the

tsunami zone there are a lot of concerns about this.

-Your website says that you will “provide residents with access to beach”

does this mean that you’re going to build a concrete sidewalk to and along

the beach?

-Also on your website, you have names like Amy Hanaialii Gilliom, Willy K.,

Isaac and Dana Hall and Kealii Reichel; Are you saying that these people are

in support of your project?

-How will you keep runoff from entering the ocean? Both during the construction phase and after?

-Do you plan on living at Olowalu Town after it is built?

-There are concerns about why you wanted the makai lands when there was an amendment to get rid of those lands. Why did you push to the the makai lands as well?

-There is concern about an injection well being built. How will you handle

the sewage?

-There is a LOT of concern about waste. Everything from household waste,

to recyclable waste, to sewage, runoff, waste during construction. How will

these be addressed?

-Many people are angry because they have a bad feeling that there is

“corruption” somewhere in the system. Can you honestly say that

Everything you have done up to this point, is honest and true?

-Do you know what the Olowalu Reefs are?

            -Can you explain what the Olowalu Reefs do for Maui?

            -When the town is being constructed, there will be runoff and

Sedimentation. How do you plan on controlling this?

-Do you know that coral is alive? That it is an animal?

            -Do you know that it takes coral decades to reproduce itself when

killed?

-Do you understand that coral is a sensitive species? (Merely

Standing on coral can kill it).

            -Do you know what NOAA is?

                        -Are you aware that Montipora patula and Montipera flabellata are

on NOAA’s proposed threatened species list? (These 2 species of

coral are found at Olowalu).

            -What are your thoughts on the seawall that was built at Ukumehame? I

ask this because there is a lot of concern that you will build a seawall or

some type of breakwater at Olowalu.

-There is a lot of confusion as to where exactly the town will be built. Could

you explain where the town will begin and end? What are the boundaries?

-There’s concern about how you will handle Ocean Acidification at Olowalu.

Big events, like New Years and the Fourth of July, obviously brings forth a

lot of trash and smoke.

How will those types of situations be handled? Will you ban the usage of

fireworks at Olowalu Town?

-What will you do if/when the runoff from construction hits the reef?

-What will you do if/when the runoff from the homes hits the reef?

-What will happen to the Olowalu General Store?

-If you understand that the Olowalu Reefs are such an important asset to

Maui and other islands. Why did you decide to build at Olowalu?

I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that he will answer all of these questions accurately and honestly.

I’m just hoping I get them soon.