Aloha everyone,

Great news to share: the County of Hawai'i has officially approved our variance request for The Gathering Place. This was a major hurdle, and clearing it is a real cause for celebration. Here's what it means in plain terms. The county's parking rules would have required us to cover almost half an acre of our parking and drive areas with a special grass-paver system called "Geoblock." We had already been excused from paving the whole thing in asphalt or concrete, but this last requirement still carried a price tag of over $617,000 — money that had not yet been raised. With this approval, we don't have to install those pavers at all. Our existing grass parking can stay just as it is!

What this means for us:

· No new fundraising hurdle. That $617,000 would have been on top of the $6.6 million already so generously given by our 440-plus donors. We won't need to go back to the community to cover it.

· No change to the look and feel of the campus. Our grass parking keeps the open, green, upcountry character that fits Waimea and the spirit of this place.

· Less upkeep down the road. The Geoblock pavers would have meant more cost and effort to maintain over the long term. Our existing grass is simpler to care for.

· No delay to construction. This keeps the project moving on schedule so we can get The Gathering Place built and put to work.

This outcome was helped along by strong support from our neighbors and partners, including the Waimea Community Association's Planning and Design Review Committee and Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, who wrote on our behalf.

Mahalo to everyone who lent their voice. The bottom line: this saves real money, protects the character of our campus, and keeps us on track to open the doors and continue serving the weekly community meal and the many other ministries this building is meant to house. Thank you all for your generosity and your faith in this project. We're one big step closer.

With gratitude,

Paul M. Donoho, Architect