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MZY or y~ <br /> ~I` ^ <br /> <br /> Harry Kim Dixie Kaetsu <br /> Mayor Managing Director <br /> _ f <br /> ~L"~" I', Peter L. Hendricks <br /> Dgau[N pryrytaging Director <br /> ~ountp Of ~atua[`i '03 DEC 19 P(~ L 'l0 <br /> 25 Aupuni Street, Room 215 Hilo, Hawaii 96720-4252 •(808)961-8211 Fax (~~~,I~1~65$3 i-'~- n,A^l~ll <br /> KONA: 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103 • Kailua-Kona, Hawai i ~~(v1 It~ C ~ ~ r ~ <br /> (808)329-5226 • Fax (808)326-5663 <br /> December 16, 2003 <br /> James Y. Arakaki, Chairman and Council Members <br /> Hawaii County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br /> RE: Veto of Bill 160, Draft 3 <br /> Dear Chairman Arakaki and Council Members, <br /> I have reviewed the attached bill and after conferring with Planning Director, Chris Yuen and <br /> staff, I have decided to veto bill 160, Draft 3. <br /> The original version of Bill 160, as approved by the Planning Commission, had a Condition <br /> "D", which read as follows: <br /> D. No Home Improvement Centers may be constructed on the Limited Industrial- <br /> zoned portion of the property. <br /> The final version of the bill omits this condition. Director Yuen's concerns over the potential <br /> establishment of a "home improvement center" and its impact on traffic on the Kea' au Bypass <br /> Highway are reasonable. Development of such a center would undermine the very purpose <br /> for which the Bypass was built, to alleviate traffic bottlenecks in the urban core of Kea' au. A <br /> big-box outlet such as Lowe's or Home Depot would potentially generate tremendous <br /> vehicular traffic and lead to significant traffic congestion. The applicant did not oppose this <br /> condition when it was initially proposed and passed by the Planning Commission. <br /> Additionally, the application stated that warehouse-type uses, rather than home improvement <br /> centers, was envisioned for this development. <br /> The Kea'au - Pahoa highway is the major traffic corridor used by the growing lower Puna <br /> population to drive to work, shop and take their children to school. There is no other transit <br /> route that will be constructed in the immediately foreseeable future. Until such time as an <br /> alternate traffic corridor is built to service lower Puna's growing population, it is important <br /> that the County takes steps to prevent the type of congestion that necessitated the construction <br /> of the Bypass in the first place. I believe the limitation on the construction of a "home <br /> improvement center" to be such a step. I urge the Council to rethink their position on this bill <br /> and include the original condition "D" as passed by the Planning Commission. <br /> C"~ti~~~iW~ Comm. No. 370, b <br /> Harry K Ref. To: <br /> Mayor Ref. Oate <br /> <br />